


Shades of Forever

by BymagaJones



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2020-12-13 23:15:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 60,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21005759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BymagaJones/pseuds/BymagaJones
Summary: Steve’s the head of 5-0.  Danny’s a doula having trouble making a living.  They have nothing in common and no reason to meet.  Right?





	1. In the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a partial AU in that Danny's a doula instead of a detective and that Meka is part of 5-0. The rest should feel pretty familiar with the first seasons of the show. Mostly.
> 
> The story is also complete; I'll be posting one chapter per day after a final polish.
> 
> I want to thank simplyn2deep for the alpha and beta assistance - you are amazing, and I appreciate all of the work and time you put into this. All of the remaining mistakes are mine.

Chapter 1

Sergeant Duke Lukela didn’t flinch at the screeching tires and slamming doors behind him. In fact, he didn’t even look away from the office building as he felt a tall presence stop beside him, tension flowing toward him in waves like ripples off the road during a heat wave.

“Duke, what do we have?”

Finally, Duke turned to find the focus of Five-0’s leader, Lieutenant Commander Steven McGarrett, already on the building surrounded by police cruisers.

“Hostage situation. We know that there’s at least one gunman.”

McGarrett’s eyes flitted toward Duke’s before returning to the building. “What do we know about the hostages?”

“There’s at least one. And she’s not a happy camper.”

“Who’s the negotiator?”

“Emerson.” Duke tilted his head toward the cruiser to his left.

“Emerson.”

Everyone tended to use the same disappointed tone when saying that name. Rumour had it that Peter Emerson had been trained as a negotiator with the FBI. After a hostage situation that had gone terribly, terribly wrong, he’d moved to Hawaii where his father, an important businessman on the islands, had managed to get him a job with HPD. So far, his efforts had resulted in zero hostage releases but scores of hospital bills, worker’s compensation reports, and car repairs. He had yet to actively get anyone killed, but he’d only been on the islands two months.

Duke took great pleasure in leaning against his car, watching McGarrett stride over to Emerson and yank the phone out of the man’s grip. Emerson stuttered and spit for a few seconds before realizing that McGarrett was ignoring him and had effectively dismissed him from the scene.

Detective Chin Ho Kelly, McGarrett’s second, appeared, gently taking Emerson’s arm and ushering him away from the building as he whispered to the man. Duke watched Officer Kono Kalakaua and Detective Meka Hanamoa, the other two members of Five-0, flank their boss as he tried to raise the gunman on the phone.

While effective, McGarrett had also caused his own amount of damage to the islands. However, he did his best to make sure that his team did most of the heavy lifting – or rappelling or jumping from building to building. That Five-0 was a little crazy and McGarrett more so was a pretty unanimously held belief among Duke’s fellow officers, but he managed to get results, and that meant a lot. Steve McGarrett might be a haole, but at least he’d been born and spent his first years on the islands, and his father had been an HPD officer before his untimely death a couple of years ago. So as far as it went, everyone would rather see McGarrett and his crazy take over the case and let Emerson return to his office to shuffle papers or drink coffee or do whatever it was he did when he wasn’t endangering officers’ lives.

McGarrett leaned behind Meka and caught Duke’s eye. “Do we know the gunman’s name?”

Duke shrugged. “We could barely hear anything over the screams.”

McGarrett’s look turned fierce. “What screams?”

The phone rang before Duke could explain, and Steve pressed a button, holding it to his ear for a moment before pulling it away quickly. Duke could hear the screams from where he was standing.

“What’s he doing to her?” Kono whispered, horror on her face.

“She’s in labor,” a voice said from behind her.

Duke turned to find a short, blond haired man strapping on an HPD bulletproof vest.

“I don’t recognize you. Did you just join the force?” McGarrett asked.

The man’s expression closed off for a second before smoothing out. “Nope. Not a cop.”

“Then you need to step back for your safety.”

As he closed the last Velcro strap, the haole met McGarrett’s gaze. “I’m going in there. She needs me.”

“Not until I –” McGarrett paused. “Are you wearing a tie?”

Duke almost laughed. It was the first time he could remember seeing McGarrett’s attention diverted during a crisis.

The blond man frowned. “It’s called looking professional, although that word hasn’t seemed to make it over to this part of the world.”

McGarrett blinked. “Well, you can’t go in until I get the gunman to stand down.”

“Brah, it’s dangerous to be up here right now.” Kono put her hand on the man’s arm.

“You’re not going to be able to hear a word that guy says until I can get Manuela to start her breathing exercises. The woman has a lung capacity that would impress even you, GI Joe.”

“He’s Army.”

It was the stranger’s turn to blink.

“I’m a Navy SEAL.”

“Congratulations,” the man said, sounding unimpressed.

“Regardless, you aren’t going in there. It’s not safe.”

“I appreciate your concern, but frankly, it doesn’t look like you’re going to be able to subdue him within the next couple of minutes, and that’s all Manuela has. So you go do your job, and I’ll do mine.”

The man made a move toward the entrance, and McGarrett grabbed his arm. The two men stared silently at each other, ratcheting up the tension, and Duke had to remind himself to breathe. After a few seconds, the stranger backed off, hands up, and McGarrett returned his attention to the phone.

Duke had a feeling his day wasn’t going to be ending all that soon. However, he was curious to see how it was all going to turn out.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Steve was having a really difficult time carrying on a conversation with the gunman what with all the screaming that – what was the name the man had called her? Manuela – Manuela was doing. While no medical expert, Steve couldn’t believe that all of that noise was just because she was in labor. He’d never heard anyone make sounds like that, even in ugly combat conditions. The man was right about her lung capacity; she could hold that scream for an impressive length of time, only silencing long enough to take another deep breath.

“That… driving… loco, man!” The gunman said.

“Why don’t you just drop your weapon and let us come in to help her,” Steve suggested.

“What?”

“Give up, and we’ll help her!” Steve shouted.

“No way!”

“How about you let her out?”

“She can’t….floor…water everywhere!”

Steve sighed, running his free hand over his face. He turned to Kono. “I need an obstetrician out here yesterday.”

“Want me to see if that blond guy is still here?” She asked. “He might be able to help.”

Steve shook his head. “Get someone we know; someone with credentials.”

Kono nodded and walked off, pulling out her cell.

That man had seemed a little… Steve frowned, trying to come up with a word for the weird twist he’d felt when he’d stared at the guy. Something was off there, and while he couldn’t quite put his thumb on it, he distrusted everything about the stranger, especially since the man’s hands had been shaking. At first, Steve had attributed it to fear, but nothing else about him had made him seem anything but intent on getting into the building. Maybe he was suffering from withdrawal of some sort, which made him even more of a liability. Quickly, Steve shoved his thoughts into a corner, to be taken out later when he had time.

Refocusing, he turned to Meka. “We need eyes in there.”

“Already on it,” Chin said, walking back alone, gesturing toward a van backing up toward them.

“What’d you do with Emerson?” Meka asked.

“I walked him back to his car, thanked him for his assistance, and told him that Five-0 would take it from here.”

“That’s way nicer than I’d have been, Cuz,” Kono said, sliding her phone into the back pocket of her jeans.

“That’s why I did it instead of you,” Chin said, smiling. A technician called him away, and he walked over to the van.

“We have someone en route, less than ten minutes out,” Kono reported to Steve, who nodded in acknowledgment. She tilted her head toward the phone. “How’s that negotiating going?”

“Still can’t hear much over the screams.”

“If that’s what having a baby sounds like, I’m gonna pass,” Kono said with a shudder.

“Amy said it’s all worth it once you see your newborn for the first time,” Meka said.

Kono didn’t look convinced.

“We should have picture within the next five minutes,” Chin called over to them.

Steve heard the screams and wondered how it was that they were getting even louder. “We might not have five minutes.”

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Danny Williams was annoyed, frustrated, and hot. Granted, he seemed to spend most of his days in that frame of mind since moving to this tropical hellhole, but today seemed to mark itself as special.

He’d awakened with the beginnings of a familiar headache and immediately called all the ladies. Manuela didn’t answer her phone, so Danny crawled into his car and drove carefully to her office building, not so much surprised as annoyed to find a hostage situation with Manuela right in the middle of it, screaming her head off.

The guy in charge, the SEAL, was a tall drink of water. A little too intense, but he was in the middle of a hostage negotiation, so Danny supposed that was to be expected. The man’s hand on his arm had forced the headache back a little, something that’d never happened before. And if he hadn’t been trying to stop Danny from walking into the building and taking care of Manuela, Danny might’ve thought about giving the guy his number.

Of course, Danny thought, rolling his eyes, what kind of catch would he make right now? He wasn’t really a one-night stand kind of guy, and he doubted his fold out bed would impress someone who looked like that. Besides, knowing his luck, the man was 110% heterosexual and would beat the stuffing out of him for even thinking of him sexually.

Focusing on the job at hand, Danny made sure Hardbody SEAL’s attention was occupied before nodding to Officer Tabuchi, whose wife Danny had helped through a particularly difficult labor his second month in Hawaii. Tabuchi calmly lifted the police tape so Danny could pass underneath.

He walked up the stairs to the building and stopped just before the front door, his arms out to his sides. “Hey!” Unsure if he could be heard above the wailing, he repeated his shout.

“Who’re you?” A voice called from inside.

Unfortunately, the damn sun was low enough behind him that he couldn’t see inside the building. “The man who can help Maneula.”

“You’re the doula?”

Sighing, Danny nodded.

“But you’re a –”

“Guy? Yeah, I know. Just tell her that Danny’s here.”

The end of a gun waved just outside the door. “How do I know you’re not a cop? You look like a cop.”

Danny sighed again. “Look. I can either stand here and give you the history of my life, or I can come in there and help Manuela deliver that baby before it’s too late for both of them.”

A pause. “What do you mean too late?”

Danny rubbed one of his eyes. “Have you ever heard of a high-risk pregnancy? Well, that’s Manuela.”

“Why’s she here then?”

“Because she refused to stay at home!” Danny shouted, patience gone, headache almost blinding him. “Can I come in now?”

After another pause, the door opened slightly, and Danny nodded, sliding inside, muttering about nosy, talkative gunmen.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Steve stared at the monitors. “The place seems pretty secure; he’s blocked the emergency exit in the back, so there’s no way we can go through there easily.”

“He’s doing a great job at staying far enough away from the window so it’ll be tough for even a sniper to get a shot,” Kono noted. “But if we could get him closer to the front…”

“It looks like the hostages are between him and the door. I’m guessing that it’s not a coincidence, so we’re going to have a tough time convincing him to move closer,” Chin said.

“And we have at least three hostages,” Steve mused.

Kono pointed toward a body lying on the floor. “One who looks like she’s going to have the baby at any time.”

“You can almost hear her scream through the monitor,” Meka winced, turning his head toward the building entrance. “What’s he doing?”

Steve was tracking the gunman on the monitor. “It looks like he’s going to the door.”

“Even though you told him not to. That takes balls,” Meka said.

“I never told –” Steve looked up and saw the blond man from earlier, standing in front of the building door. “How’d he get there?” He looked around. “Who let him go up there?” Steve took a step toward the door just as it opened wide enough to let the blond man step inside. “Damnit!” He thought quickly. “Meka, find out our mystery interloper’s identity. Kono and Chin, we need to get in there. Now.”

Less than five minutes later, Steve stood at an open window on the second floor of the building checking his equipment. Pressing his earpiece, he said, “We’re only going to have one chance at this. Everyone in place?” He waited until he’d heard from every member of his team before checking his harness one last time.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

As always, when confronted with a woman in labor, Danny’s pains faded, and his world shrank to the woman and the small life inside of her. Kneeling beside the screaming woman, he placed one hand on her forehead, the other on her stomach. “I’m here, honey,” he said quietly.

Her screams became pants. “Danny?” Blowing the bangs out of her eyes, she gave him a tired grin. “What took you so long?”

A thirty-five year-old executive who’d found the love of her life in her forty-year-old female assistant, Maneula wasn’t the type to do anything halfway. A week after their commitment ceremony, the six foot beauty became inseminated, and two weeks after confirmation that she was indeed pregnant, she’d met Danny at the advice of a coworker and hired him on the spot.

Danny liked her. She reminded him of his ex-wife without the memories of blistering fights and hostile custody hearings. Of course, also like his ex, she refused to think that it was absolutely okay for a woman to actually take time off a few days before her scheduled due date. If that’d been the case, she would’ve been resting at her luxurious home instead of lying on the floor in the lobby of her office building, screaming at the poor gunman like he was an intern who’d spilled coffee on some important documents.

She gritted her teeth and panted as a contraction began.

Pulling out his phone and noting the time, he asked, “How long have you been having contractions?” He pinched her hand, hoping she was still hydrated. She didn’t even notice the slight pain.

“I started feeling strange this morning when I came in, but I thought maybe they were Braxton-Hicks,” she said once she regained her breath.

Danny gave her a look. “What did I say about calling me?”

“I know. But I wanted to have this presentation all set up before I went on leave. I swear, I was on my way to the hospital and was going to call you when numbnuts here decided to hold us hostage.” She glared at the gunman for a moment before her eyes went large. “Here comes another one!”

Scooting down to her feet, Danny said, “Remember your breathing.” He panted with her as he nudged her legs apart and lifted her skirt. He couldn’t help lifting an eyebrow at her lack of underwear.

“My water broke!” She yelled in between pants.

“I noticed,” Danny said dryly, noting the dampness on his knees. This was one of the times Danny was thankful that his job allowed him to spend a good amount of time with his clients, because it made moments like this far less awkward. “Wait’ll I tell Grace.”

“As long as it’s my Grace and not yours,” Manuela huffed out a laugh. “She’s the one who made me leave for the hospital. She’s supposed to be meeting me there.”

Danny took a look and realized that Manuela needed a hospital immediately.

Unfortunately, the downside to knowing your clients was that they got to know you right back, and she frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Okay. I want you to remain calm. I can see some of the umbilical cord.”

Manuela’s eyes grew large. She suddenly looked like a scared twelve year old. “The baby’s going to be okay, right?”

“Hey, hey. Remember our breathing. Breathe with me.” He quickly took her through their breathing exercises, aware that the prolonged labor wasn’t helping with the umbilical cord prolapse and that they didn’t have much time.

Danny smiled reassuringly. “I didn’t get this far with you to have either of you check out on me.” He patted her hip. “I need you to get onto your hands and knees.”

“What?” Both the gunman and Manuela asked.

Danny chose to ignore the gunman. “Right now, the baby can press against the umbilical cord and cut off his blood and oxygen supply.”

Manuela took one of Danny’s hands. With his help, she managed to get onto her hands and knees, groaning the entire time.

“Now, I need to you lower your chest to the ground.”

The gunman opened his mouth, and Danny glared at him. “Don’t even start.”

Even though he’d seen the ambulance outside, Danny also knew that Manuela and the baby didn’t have much time. He placed his hands on her hips and took a deep breath.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

With the exception of Steve crashing through the picture window, the entire operation was a little anticlimactic. He didn’t even have to fire his weapon since the gunman, who turned out to be barely old enough to drink liquor legally, had dropped the gun in surprise. And then the blond man had casually stuck out a leg and tripped the kid, allowing Steve to straddle and cuff him within seconds.

Steve had waited until the paramedics loaded Manuela and screaming baby onto the gurney and wheeled them out of the room before rounding on the man. “What did you think you were doing? You could’ve been killed!”

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, the man looked up and rolled his eyes, holding his arms wide. “And yet, here I am, not a scratch on me.”

“You had no idea what you were going to face in here!”

“You happy yelling at the guy on the floor, or are you gonna help me up?” Unperturbed, the man arched an eyebrow and held out his hand, wiggling his fingers.

Sighing, Steve pulled the man to standing. “From now on, when I tell you to stay behind the police tape, stay behind the police tape!”

“You might do this kind of thing on a regular basis, but it’s not my current choice of profession.” The man blinked a few times, the color draining from his face, before he stumbled back.

Fortunately, Chin had just walked into the building and managed to brace him before fell. “You okay there?”

Rubbing a hand over his face, the man righted himself. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

Steve felt an unfamiliar rush of concern as he grabbed the man’s arm. “Let’s get one of the EMT’s to take a look at you.”

“I’m fine,” the man said. “I just stood up too fast.”

Steve wasn’t buying it, but he didn’t have any leverage to force the man to get a checkup. It didn’t stop him from trying, though. “They’re sitting out there with nothing to do. You go over there, get checked out, and I’ll send Kono over to get your statement.”

“You want a statement? The guy let me in, I helped Manuela deliver her baby, you came crashing in like Spiderman, and it was all over. Statement complete.”

Frustrated, Steve looked over to Chin for help, but his second was too busy smiling. He didn’t even have the decency to try to wipe the smirk off his face when he caught Steve’s eye.

Steve didn’t know if it were the bluster or the fact that he was genuinely okay, but the color was returning to the man’s face. Reluctantly, he let go of the man’s arm.

Finally, Chin took mercy on Steve. “Why don’t I walk you over there?”

“If you want to walk me somewhere, why don’t you walk me to my car? I had to park illegally, and you know that despite all of this craziness, the one meter maid focused on writing her tickets is going to have had a field day on my car. I swear, if she had it towed…” Chin and the man disappeared, the man still talking and waving his arms.

Steve had no idea how long he stood there, ridiculous smile on his face, before Kono touched his shoulder and grabbed his attention.


	2. Family Reunion

Danny fell back into the driver’s seat and shut the door, closing his eyes for a moment. He’d managed to ditch the cop with the chiseled jaw – was that whole team pulled from an agency of supermodels or what? – before he headed back to his car, which was, fortunately, still there and ticket free. 

Fumbling with his phone, he hit two on his speed dial and waited until he heard the voice on the other line. “Hey, Jenna. Manuela’s on her way to the hospital.” He gave her the details as succinctly as he could. “Call me if you need me; otherwise, I’ll be by tomorrow.” He hung up, dropping the phone on the passenger seat. Normally, he’d be heading to the hospital himself, helping Manuela and Grace any way he could, but right now, he had to take care of himself.

Wiping a hand down his face, he put on his seat belt and started the car. He knew he shouldn’t be driving, not so soon after helping Manuela deliver the baby, but he had to get home before the cramping and shakes set in. He drove carefully to his apartment and managed to get out of the car without tripping before staggering to his door. He fumbled with the keys and let himself in, wrenching his arm as he fell onto the floor. Kicking the door closed, he lay just inside, shaking and curled up in the fetal position as his stomach began cramping. He really, really hated this part of the job.

Eventually, the shakes and pain subsided enough for him to crawl to the bed, thankful that he hadn’t shifted it back into a sofa the night before. He made a halfhearted attempt to kick off his shoes before sighing into sleep.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Absently drying off from his swim, Steve wandered into the house, vaguely dissatisfied. He’d been feeling that more often lately, although he couldn’t figure out why. He had a job in paradise that provided him with full immunity and means, a team who’d become his ohana, and a friend-with-benefits who was happy with their arrangement.

Granted, their case earlier that day hadn’t been much of a challenge. Steve had rappelled down more difficult surfaces, broken into more dangerous buildings, taken down more dangerous criminals. And things had been a little slow lately. But Steve knew that it was only a matter of time before Five-0 became involved in a case that left them practically chewing coffee beans to stay awake.

So why the unsettled feeling in his gut? Why was a strange, mouthy haole the most interesting thing that had happened to him in days, and why couldn’t he get the man out of his head? Distracted, he changed into a pair of faded jeans and the first t-shirt his hand grabbed before heading to the kitchen and throwing some fruit and ice in the blender for a smoothie.

Maybe it was the mystery. Chin had gotten distracted by an HPD officer with questions and had lost track of the man before he’d gotten any contact information. Steve had wanted to grab an image off of one of the cameras and have Chin run it through one of the facial recognition programs, but he couldn’t justify asking his second to return to the office on a Friday afternoon just so Steve could have his curiosity sated. Monday was soon enough.

Hearing a scratching noise at the front of the house, Steve immediately grabbed a gun he kept concealed underneath the kitchen table and opened the door quickly.

His sister stood in front of him, arm still outstretched, key between her fingers. She looked at his gun, unimpressed. “I’m guessing you don’t get a lot of visitors?”

Stunned, he lowered the gun. “Mary? What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I come visit my brother?” She brushed by him, leaving two suitcases outside.

Sighing, Steve set the safety and tucked the gun in the back of his jeans before picking up the suitcases and bringing them inside.

He found Mary in the kitchen, drinking directly from the blender. “We have glasses, you know.”

She put the blender on the kitchen table and flopped into a chair. “I was starving! They make you pay for everything except pretzels and a soda on flights now, and food is always so expensive at the airport.” She looked at the cupboards. “You got any chips?”

Steve crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “How much do you want?”

“What makes you think I want money?” She paused for a second, eyeballing Steve, who refused to speak. “Maybe I just want to spend time with family.”

“For the first time in, like, ever?” Sizing her up, he noticed that her hair had gotten longer, her face filled out. In fact…. “You’ve filled out some. Please don’t tell me that you need the money for some get-thin-quick scheme.”

Mary’s face started to turn red. “You’re telling me I’m fat now?”

“You’re not fat; you’ve just filled out some.” Steve realized he was backtracking, but he couldn’t seem to stop talking. “It looks good on you.” And wow, her face _could_get even redder. He tried to go for levity. “At least you’re not pregnant.”

At that, Mary’s face crumpled, and she began to cry, her entire body shuddering.

At a loss, Steve stood there. They’d never been a demonstrative family, so hugging her would probably freak them both out a little bit. He grabbed a napkin and shoved it at her. “Mary…”

“Just leave me alone!” She scraped the chair back and ran upstairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Sighing, Steve returned his gun to its hiding place and rinsed out the blender, hoping that he was completely wrong in his suspicions.

A couple of hours later, Steve felt at odds. While he’d been tempted to call Chin and see if he wanted to do something, Steve didn’t feel right leaving Mary alone. Throwing together a large salad and cutting up some fruit, he knocked lightly on Mary’s door. “Dinner’s ready if you want to eat,” he said quietly before heading back downstairs.

The opening and closing of doors and the sound of running water in the bathroom had Steve laying out a second plate and set of utensils on the kitchen table, and Mary shuffled in a few minutes later.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, but Steve knew Mary had never found a silence she didn’t want to fill. “So, I’m pregnant.” She glared at him. “But I’m not showing yet, so watch it.”

Steve had been alternating between attempting to ignore the idea and trying to figure out how to react if she had indeed gotten herself pregnant. Now he had to somehow factor in that her weight gain had nothing to do with it. Truth be told, he thought she looked better a little filled out, but he was smart enough to know to let that part go. He simply took a sip of juice before asking, “What are your plans?”

She looked like she was about to cry again, and Steve held his breath. He could handle fighting against a crew of machine gun toting drug dealers, but he was at a loss around a crying woman, especially if she were his sister. “I don’t know.”

“Have you told the father? Talked it over with him?”

She shook her head, eyes fierce. “He won’t be involved.”

That didn’t really answer his question, but he figured this probably wasn’t the time to push it. After a second, he asked, “Do you want to keep it?”

Tossing her fork onto the plate, scrubbed at her face. “How can I keep it? I don’t have a job or a husband, and what do we know about raising kids? Look at us!”

It had been years since he and Mary had lived together for any length of time, but right then he saw the little eight year old who desperately wanted to keep the puppy she’d “found” in the neighbor’s yard. Without thought, he reached for her hand. “If you want to keep it, you can stay here with me. We might not’ve had the best parents, but we’re surrounded by people who will help us. I’m sure Kono has hundreds of teenage cousins who would love to babysit.” He squeezed her hand. “Whatever you choose, I’m here for you.”

Tears dripped onto her plate as she smiled at him. “You’re not such a bad big brother after all.”

“I’m a _fantastic _brother,” he bragged, letting go of her hand and leaning back in his chair.

“I’ll deny it if you ever tell anyone that I agreed with you.”

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Saturday morning, Danny woke an hour before his alarm, feeling much better. The pain was gone, and his shakes had morphed into a faint, inconsistent tremor. He answered his ringing cell as he poured himself the last of the orange juice he’d made from concentrate a few days before. “Good morning, my love!”

“Good morning, Danno!”

“Are you ready to spend the entire day at the zoo?”

“Uh huh.”

“We just have to stop off at the hospital first.” He had to pull the phone away from his ear at the squeal.

“Who was it, Danno?”

“Manuela.”

“I told you.”

Rolling he eyes, he said, “Yes, yes you did.” She’d told him that Manuela was going to have her baby next. He’d said nothing, but he’d felt the same thing.

It looked like his baby was going to continue the family gift. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, so he pushed it to the back of his mind, as usual. It really wasn’t anything he could do about it, and he had other, more pressing concerns. Worrying about Grace’s future could wait until he was lying in bed, floating somewhere between the possibility that he could afford a better apartment and analyzing whatever twitch he was currently feeling about one of the ladies.

“Will Grace be there?” Grace had fallen in love with Manuela’s partner the moment she realized that they shared the same name.

“Probably,” Danny said, knowing how protective the adult Grace had become once Manuela’s pregnancy had been confirmed.

“When can I come stay with you?” Grace asked, practically breaking Danny’s heart.

“Soon, baby. I promise.” Hawaii was expensive, and the only apartment Danny could afford wasn’t in the best of neighborhoods. There was no way he was going to bring his daughter here.

After confirming the pick up time with Rachel, Danny finished getting ready, whistling as he picked up his keys from where he’d dropped them the day before. He was going to spend the entire day with his Monkey; it didn’t get any better than that.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Steve walked into the Five-0 offices on Monday morning with coffees and a large bowl of mixed fruit. By unspoken agreement, they’d begun taking turns bringing in breakfast on Mondays. Chin usually brought a combination of pastries from the shop near his house while Kono tended to pick up malasadas on her way in from surfing. Meka’s wife would usually make omelets or stratas, and in an effort to keep his ohana healthy, Steve would bring in mixed fruit.

If they didn’t have a case, they eased into the workweek by catching up on their weekends – provided they hadn’t spent most of it together.

“So, Mary’s back,” Steve said, spearing a piece of pineapple.

Kono filled her bowl with fruit, edging her spoon around the kiwi. “What’s she want this time? Money?”

“Maybe she just wants a place to stay for a while,” Chin suggested, always willing to give her the benefit of doubt.

“Have you checked to see if she has any outstanding warrants?” Meka said it with a smile, but they’d all had to deal with Mary’s fallout in the past.

“She’s pregnant.”

Kono sat back in her chair. “Shut the front door.”

“Who’s the dad?” Chin rose, ready to head over to the computer table and start an in-depth security check.

Motioning for Chin to return to his seat, Steve explained, “All she’ll say about him is that he’s not going to be in the picture.”

“What does that mean?” Meka asked.

“In her case, he could be dead, in jail, or an international rock star,” Steve said.

“Life is never boring with her around,” Chin agreed. “Does she have health insurance?”

“Yeah, she needs to see a doctor for prenatal care,” Meka added.

Sighing, Steve shook his head. “I doubt she has insurance, but I’ll get her on a plan.” He still had a lot of money from his SEAL days, so he would make sure Mary got the best care. “The thing is, she doesn’t want a doctor.”

Meka frowned. “Is she worried that there’s something wrong with the baby, and she just doesn’t want to deal with it?”

“That sounds like Mary, but no, she just doesn’t trust doctors. Evidently, she hasn’t been to see one in years.”

Kono turned to Chin. “What did Auntie get?”

Chin frowned. “Which one?”

“The one over in Maui who had Arthur.”

“She named her son Arthur?” Meka asked.

Chuckling, Chin thought for a moment. “She had a midwife.”

“Yeah,” Kono turned to Steve. “She could get a midwife.”

“Or a doula,” Chin added. “I’m not sure what the difference is.” He turned to Kono. “Auntie over on Kailua had a doula that she really liked.”

“Right,” Kono said. “I’ll call and get the contact information if you want.”

“That’d be great,” Steve said, once more thankful for his ohana. His phone buzzed, and with that, their breakfast ended, and they headed over to their newest crime scene.

Thursday afternoon, after three car chases, one stakeout, and countless meals eaten on the run, Five-0 finally took a break and headed over to Kamekona’s shrimp truck for a hot meal.

Kamekona served them personally, setting their dishes in front of them. “I got this for you.” He dug into a shirt pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and holding it out.

“What’s this?” Steve automatically took the greasy paper, gingerly unfolding it.

“It’s the name of the whatchamacallit, the doula Chin and Kono’s Auntie used. My cousin’s sister and her best friend also say this is who you want to watch over your keiki. Something like this, you want the best, and this – ” Kamekona poked at the paper “– is nō ka ʻoi.”

“What exactly is a doula? Is it a midwife?” Meka asked, explaining, “Amy just went to her obstetrician. I don’t know about all these new fangled birthing techniques.”

“A doula helps a woman with her lady parts and the baby parts,” Kamekona said unhelpfully.

Looking closer, Steve tried to read Kamekona’s chicken scrawl. “D. Williams.” He read off the number, only needing two corrections. Touched and not as surprised as he probably should’ve been at the fact that Kamekona knew so much of his business, he thanked the big man, shoving the paper in one of the inside pockets of his cargo pants before digging into his lunch.

About two o’clock Sunday morning, Steve threw the note on the top of his dresser along with some spare change before taking a shower and climbing into bed wearing only a towel. His last thought before losing consciousness was that he needed to pass the doula information on to Mary at some point.

The next Friday morning found Steve staring into space in front of his computer instead of doing his paperwork for the last two cases. He hated paperwork, especially on a Friday. Looking over, he found Kono tossing crumpled paper balls into her trashcan, raising her arms and cheering when she made a shot. Frowning, Meka slowly pounded his finger on his keyboard, the stereotypical cop who never learned to type. Chin stood over by the printer, probably waiting for the last of his perfectly completed paperwork to spit out, ready for Steve’s signature.

It suddenly hit Steve that not only had he not spoken with Mary in about a week, he’d forgotten to relay Kamekona’s number to her. The image of her trusting her pregnancy to a hippie with a degree from some online herbal ‘college’ in his mind, Steve picked up his phone only to hear some strange background noise. “Hello?” He asked hesitantly.

“Steve?”

“Catherine,” he said, smiling and leaning back in his chair.

“Guess who’s going to be in town and free for the weekend?”

Feeling certain portions of his body perk up at the news, Steve said, “You have perfect timing. We just finished a hard case and are putting it to bed now.”

“Then your place, say, six o’clock?”

Steve sighed, remembering his visitor. “Mary’s in town.”

A slight pause. “Will that be a problem? Should I get a hotel room?”

They were both grownups, Mary’s current condition ample proof of that. “No,” Steve said, decision made. “She’s going to be living with me for a while; she needs to get used to you. Come over at six.”

He hung up and leaned over his computer with more resolve.

Chin knocked on the doorframe, papers in hand.

“Overachiever,” Steve grumbled, hand out.

Chin just grinned and returned to his office to gather his things.

Mary was sleeping when Steve got home, so he quietly closed her door and put dinner on the grill. Catherine knew to take the path to the back of the house when she arrived, kissing Steve before grabbing a beer from the cooler and relaxing in one of the lounge chairs. They chatted about common friends and caught up on their various cases before Catherine brought up his sister.

“So Mary’s staying for a while this time?”

Steve nodded, taking a swallow of beer. “She’s pregnant. I told her I’d help any way I can.”

“Wow,” Catherine said, sitting back.

“I know. Mary’s always been wild, but she’s smart. In this day and age, I can’t imagine how a grown woman accidentally gets pregnant.”

“Maybe it wasn’t an accident,” Catherine offered.

Steve shrugged. His family had never been big on introspective talks. If he couldn’t get her to reveal something as simple as who’d fathered the baby, he doubted he could find out her rationale for getting pregnant in the first place. In fact, the thought of that kind of conversation made him inherently uncomfortable.

And that was one of the reasons he liked Catherine so much. Their relationship was uncomplicated, each getting what they needed from the other without having to deal with uncomfortable conversations. He could relax around her, not worried that she’d throw something emotional at him.

Closing the grill, he grabbed his beer and Catherine’s hand and headed inside. “Let’s give that a few minutes.”

“You have any idea of how we could pass the time?” Catherine teased.

“I might be able to come up with something,” Steve said, leading her to the living room.

“Maybe a board game? Some television?”

“I’ll take those suggestions under advisement,” Steve said as he fell onto the sofa, pulling Catherine onto his lap.

Catherine laughed, curling her hand behind his head and drawing closer.

The door suddenly opened, and Steve sprung into action, practically dumping Catherine on the far side of the sofa and adopting a fighting stance.

He was met with paper bags covering the face of the intruder.

“Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?”

“You must be the brother,” the voice said behind the bags. The distinctively _male _voice.

“And you are?” Maybe Mary had relented and called the baby’s daddy. Until he got an answer he liked, Steve wasn’t going to drop his guard.

“The guy who’s going to drop eggs and other fragile foods if you don’t give me a hand.”

Steve remained silent.

The man sighed. “Mary told me you were a hard ass. Look, I’m going to take these to the kitchen. So go ahead and shoot me in the ass, but you’re going to have to explain it to Mary.”

“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me who you are.”

“Danny.” Pause. “The doula.” Another pause. “Geez, you two really don’t talk, do you?” The man turned and headed straight for the kitchen without pausing to get his bearings.

Steve made to follow, but Catherine took his arm. “Maybe you should go get Mary. I’ll stay down here and make sure he doesn’t do anything.” Steve hesitated, and Catherine arched an eyebrow, daring him to say that she couldn’t take care of herself.

“Fine,” Steve muttered, feeling like a little boy as he climbed the stairs. He knocked gently on Mary’s door. “Mary?”

He heard some rustling and then Mary’s drowsy voice. “Steve?”

“Some guy’s downstairs. Says he’s your doula?”

The voice perked up, completely awake. “Danny’s here? Tell him I’ll be right down!”

“You’re giving a stranger full run of the house?”

Mary opened the door as she ran a brush through her hair. “He’s not a stranger. He’s my doula.”

“But I don’t know him. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Glaring at him, Mary tossed her brush onto the bed and pushed around him. “When was I supposed to do that?”

Admitting silently that he hadn’t really been around lately, he followed her down the stairs. “You have my number. You could’ve called me.”

“Yeah, and leave a message like all the ones you left for me to make sure I was doing okay?” She stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “Besides, you’re the one who had the number.” She rolled her eyes at his blank look. “D. Williams. It was on the paper on your dresser.”

“What were you doing – ”

“That’s not the point,” Mary said, turning around and continuing down the stairs.

The hell it wasn’t, he thought as he followed her. “Stay out of my room.”

“What’re you going to do, lock your door? Maybe put up some traps?”

Steve kept his face blank, refusing to admit that those had indeed been his first thoughts.

“Wow. I bet you two had the same kinds of conversations when you were little,” the man said from behind the refrigerator door.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t down here to let you in,” Mary said, sitting down at the table.

Steve was stunned. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard Mary apologize to anyone for anything. Actually, he couldn’t recall the first time either.

“That’s why you gave me the key,” the man said.

That brought Steve back to the present. “You gave him a key?”

“I know the alarm code too,” the man said, closing the door and turning.

“You!” They both shouted, finally seeing each other for the first time.

Steve stepped back to stand beside Catherine, who’d been leaning against the far wall. He realized, looking at this man, that this face had constantly been in the back of his thoughts since their conversation a couple of weeks before. He hadn’t expected to see the man again, especially making himself at home in Steve’s own house. An unexpected surge of happiness swelled within him, and he tamped it down in favor of a frown and crossed arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keiki = children  
nō ka ʻoi = the best
> 
> (these definitions are to the best of my internet-researching knowledge)


	3. Meet Not-So Cute

Danny couldn’t believe it. Tall, dark, and intense stood in front of him with what he probably thought was an intimidating frown. Well, Danny supposed, it might be intimidating to a drug dealer or gunrunner, but Danny’d long gotten used to more frightening looks from the ladies during intense labor, especially when they decided on a natural childbirth. Besides, it was kind of cute. Figuring the man – Steve – wouldn’t appreciate the grin fighting to surface, Danny leaned against the sink, crossing his own arms.

“You’ve met?” Mary asked.

Danny waited a few beats, but Steve continued to silently glower at him. Choosing to smile instead of laugh, he said, “He’s mad, because I didn’t follow his orders.”

“He just waltzed into a hostage situation –”

“I walked like a normal person –”

“ – almost getting himself killed – ”

“ – I’m not the one who rappelled into a picture window –”

“ – instead of waiting until I’d diffused the hostage situation –”

“ – my client and her baby would’ve been dead by then!”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yes I do!”

Danny’s amusement had slowly dissolved, anger rushing in to take its place. Before he realized it, he and Steve were leaned against opposite sides of the kitchen table, breaths coming out in pants, straining toward each other like they were going to fight… or make out. Before the argument, he’d have voted for the latter, but now, now he wanted to just punch the man in the nose.

And then maybe make out later, once the swelling had gone down.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Taking a deep breath, Steve tried to reign in the anger that’d appeared out of nowhere. Sure, he’d been surprised that another man, a stranger, had what seemed to be free use of his home, but the shock at who it was – this man who’d been tickling around the back of his thoughts – had caused him to lose his composure.

Catherine put a hand on Steve’s arm, reminding him of her presence. “Perhaps I should come back another time.”

Ignoring the smirk on the other man’s face, Steve pressed his hand over Catherine’s. “No, stay. I still have – the steaks!” He ran out to the lanai and lifted the grill top only to find six charred lumps that had once been steaks and potatoes wrapped in foil. “Damn it!”

Laughter in her voice, Catherine called through the house, “Steve, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Wait –” He heard the door close and sighed, closing the lid to get rid of the sight.

“No steak, no nookie… this really isn’t your night is it?”

Balling his hands into fists, Steve turned toward the man.

“Punching me isn’t going to bring your girlfriend back.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“What is she then? The housekeeper?”

“We’re –” Steve had never had to define his relationship with Catherine before, and he didn’t know why he felt the need to now, with this stranger.

“What? Friends with benefits?” The man laughed. “Okay, if that’s what you want to call it.” Even his laugh sounded sarcastic.

“It benefits us both.”

The man waved a hand. “Whatever floats your boat.”

Practicing the deep breaths he used during yoga, Steve walked into the kitchen for supplies to clean the grill. He stopped short. “Where’s Mary?”

“Potty break. Happens a lot with pregnant women.” Sliding past Steve, the man opened the refrigerator, taking out salad fixings and a container of something in balls. He placed them on the counter, noticing Steve’ glance. “This is dinner for Mary.”

“I had a steak and potato for her too,” Steve protested, wondering why he cared about the guy's opinion.

“That’s too heavy for her right now, although you do get points for thinking of her in the middle of a booty call.”

Steve knew he had to take some time before he ended up shoving the man’s head in the garbage disposal. Unconcerned about the rudeness of the gesture, he left the man in the kitchen and climbed the steps to find Mary sitting on her bed. He didn’t recognize the look on her face so he sat down beside her. “Are you okay?”

She gave him a lopsided grin. “I’m pregnant, living with my brother in our family home. I have no job, no insurance, and no friends except for that man downstairs.”

Steve couldn’t help but see how easy it would be to take advantage of his sister in her current state. “What do you know about him?”

“Danny made me call some references and read his resume.”

Right, his name was Danny. “Anyone can make up references and pad a resume.”

“Look at you, going all big brother on me,” Mary teased, leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder. “I called Kamekona, who gave me his… sister’s boyfriend’s sister’s number or something, and she raved about him, said he saved her and her baby’s lives.” She sighed. “Danny doesn't like that I don’t want to see a doctor, but I let him make an appointment to see a midwife. He says she’s really nice.”

“How much is he charging?”

“I told him about my big brother, and he said that we could sit down and come up with something mutually beneficial or something. I think he has contracts… I wasn’t paying attention.”

Steve sighed, somewhat comforted at the return of the irresponsible sister he knew so well.

“He had malasadas!” Mary protested. “They were still warm.” She chuckled. “He called them donut-thingys.”

“Haole,” Steve muttered.

Mary laughed. “Be nice to him. For me.”

“I’m promising nothing. There’s something irritating about him. Besides, what kind of man wants to be a doula?”

“Maybe one who wants to empower women in the birthing process, who embraces alternatives to drugs and confining beds.”

“Been surfing the net, huh?”

Mary laughed. “He gave me the numbers of some other doulas, some women, and they all seemed nice, but…”

“But…” Steve prompted.

“I don’t know if it’s because I don’t have the father around, but I feel comfortable around Danny. Safe. He’s gentle with me, makes sure I eat properly.” She pushed away from him and turned to face him. “And he’s here for me in a way that you can’t be.”

Steve opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

“I’m not judging you. You have your job, and it’s important. But I need someone to help _me_, to be there for _me_, especially when you can’t be.”

Steve sighed, knowing that with the exception of Chin’s finding something hinky in this guy’s past tomorrow, Mr. Sarcasm was going to be in his life for the next seven months or so.

He discovered that he wasn’t as upset about it as thought he should be.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Danny’s mood lightened considerably once McGarrett followed his sister upstairs, giving Danny a chance to think things through. His mom always told him that his hot head was always tempered once he’d had a chance to be alone to mull through his thoughts. Or at least that’d been her reason for all the time outs when he was growing up.

He’d been worried about Mary’s support system, about this brother that never seemed to be around, about her living in a house that felt more like a mausoleum than a home. Because she hadn’t lived in the area in years, she didn’t have any friends to rely on for support. She had a strong dislike for doctors for some reason, so she wasn’t going to meet other pregnant women in waiting rooms like a few of his other clients.

Danny had immediately begun a quiet campaign to change as much as he could. He’d made her contact a few of his past clients, and the women hadn’t disappointed him, inviting her to lunch and other outings. Mary hadn’t actually agreed to any yet, but she would. She was way too extroverted to stay in the house for long. He’d begun adding small things, a plant, a few baby items like nursing blankets and bibs. He’d seen a darling pink dress with matching booties that he’d wanted to buy, but he had to mind his budget, and he didn’t want to have to lie about how he already knew that she was going to have a girl.

He continued chopping the organic vegetables and free-range chicken as he sorted through his thoughts.

McGarrett wasn’t anything like the big brother he’d expected. Mary had made him sound cold, unfeeling. If anything, the man was completely the opposite. Sure, he’d seemed like that at the crime scene, and Danny’d caught a glimpse of it when he was trying to explain his relationship with his girlfr- his lady friend, Danny caught himself with a grin. But with Danny, his emotions had spilled all over the place like that Diamond Head volcano would probably do at some inconvenient time. Dormant his ass. Those things were dormant until suddenly they weren’t. Anyone who disagreed needed to read about Pompeii sometime. One belch, and they’d be buried under piles of ash, to be dug out and placed in museums a thousand years later.

So, McGarrett, Danny reminded himself, absently dividing the salad between two plates. The man was a looker, but he was also heterosexual. Squelching the disappointment, he reminded himself that he never got involved with clients or their family members anyway. Of course, this _had_been the first time he’d even been tempted.

But, given the man’s schedule this week, Danny figured he wouldn’t see much of him anyway. It was probably for the best. Danny _had_managed to cockblock the man and help him ruin his dinner, so all in all, it was shaping up to be a good night.

And if the guy came down those stairs expecting Danny to feed him, he’d be set up for another disappointment. Danny’s job was to help feed Mary. Mary. Not Steve. Because he was a doula, not a fucking short order cook.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Feeling an itch he couldn’t define, Steve had to get out of the house and do something. He kissed Mary on the head, sending her downstairs, and changed into swimming trunks. Grabbing a towel, he clumped down the stairs and shouted he was going for a swim. He faintly heard Mary’s, “okay!” as he continued out to the lanai.

His first memory was of being in the water, the freedom of being able to shed the constraints of gravity and just… glide. Of course, he had been two at the time and hadn’t really thought of it that way, but later he recognized the happiness for what it was. Freedom. Ever since then, he hated to be away from it for long periods. He could do it when he had to – quite often during classified missions – but it was never his preference. His choice about joining the Navy hadn’t been made lightly.

He sliced through the water, intentionally clearing his mind and focusing on his strokes, the wind kissing his skin when he raised his arms.

He’d only gone a few miles before deciding to return to the house. He wasn’t worried about Danny anymore, although he was still going to have Chin do a background check so detailed that the man would feel like he’d been violated. However, he was feeling guilty about how easily Mary fell away from his mind when he was working, and he resolved to make his family more of a priority than his father had done for them. He’d promised Mary he’d be there for her. It was time he proved he was more than just talk.

He walked into the brightly – lit house, rubbing the towel over his body, surprised at the silence. Annoyed at having to turn off the lights as he made his way through the rooms, he frowned at the empty kitchen, the room immaculate. He knew he had Danny to thank for that; cleaning up, as well as turning off lights, never seemed to enter Mary’s mind.

He found her curled up on the sofa, asleep. He stood for a moment, watching the flickering light from the television blink over her body. She seemed so young and small, and not for the first time, Steve found himself amazed that she was going to be responsible for a small, fragile life.

She stretched and blinked, smiling when she recognized him. “Are you staring at me, Creepy McCreeperson?”

Steve just smiled back, unable to explain himself and the wave of happiness that had washed over him at the thought that she’d come to him for help.

Standing up and arching her back, she said, “I’m always so tired. Danny says that it’s okay, but I swear, I can’t wait until I can sit through an entire movie again. Oh. He said he’d call you to talk about the contract.” She smiled as she walked past him. “Night.”

“Night,” Steve said, trying to reign in his unaccustomed emotion.

Then he shook his head ruefully as he realized that she’d left the television on.

Steve got called in early the next morning, and they were all in the office before the sun broke over the horizon. Kono was in a foul mood because she hadn’t gotten in her morning surfing, so they all tiptoed around until her natural good mood resurfaced.

HPD had gotten a tip that a major drug shipment was going to arrive in the next few days, and they spent their time trying to ferret out any information.

Chin rolled his eyes when Steve asked for him to do a background check on Danny, saying, “You need to read your paperwork before signing everything, boss.” He re-forwarded his report on the hostage situation, and Steve found not only Danny’s brief statement but the simple background check Chin had done on him at the time. He only had time for a cursory glance, Chin’s, “he seems like good people, brah,” satisfying his curiosity for the moment.

Later that day, he answered his phone while bent over the computer table, going over crime scene photos with Kono, Meka, and Chin to try to obtain a clear enough image to identify the thief.

“McGarrett, it’s Danny Williams, Mary’s doula.”

Steve had to restrain his snort. As if he hadn’t recognized the voice immediately.

“I’m calling to schedule a time to go over the contract.”

“I’m a little busy right now,” Steve said. It wasn’t a lie, but he knew he could carve out some time if he really tried. There was just something about Danny Williams that made Steve want to be difficult.

“I know you’re busy saving the islands or whatever. I’d just need about twenty minutes. We could even do it in your office if you want.”

“Why don’t you just send the contract to me, and I’ll contact you with any questions.”

“That’s not how I work. I like to make sure that we’re all on the same page.”

“Look, I have a lot going on –”

“ – and you always will. Mary said that you were going to be there for her and the baby, but yet you can’t take twenty minutes out of your schedule to meet with me? I can get her through the pregnancy and the birth alone, even though it won’t be the same as having her big brother there. But what about later, once I’ve moved on to other clients? What’re you going to do when Baby McGarrett’s throwing up at daycare and needs someone to pick her up, but Mary’s car has broken down, and she’s stuck at the shop? Tell the daycare worker that you’re sorry, but you have a lot going on?”

Steve hated the way this guy could make him feel like crap so easily. He pushed away from the table and began to pace. “That’s different.”

“Why? Because it’s an emergency? Baby McGarrett’s first birthday isn’t going to be an emergency. You gonna tell her that sorry, Uncle Steve can’t make it, because it’s inconvenient.”

“That’s not – ” Steve forced himself to unclench his fists and take a breath, something it seemed that Williams didn’t need to do. “Fine. When?”

“Whatever’s convenient for you.” Danny’s smug, triumphant smile radiated through the phone.

Steve looked at his watch. “Thirty minutes. Here.”

“See ya,” Danny fairly sang before he was gone.

Steve didn’t realize he was glaring at his phone until Kono’s clearing her voice broke him out of his rage-induced trance.

“Boss?”

Sighing, Steve returned to the table. “Danny Williams is stopping by to go over his doula contract.” He looked at Chin. “I glossed over his background check. Anything I need to know?”

Typing a few seconds, Chin swiped his hand over the interface, and suddenly Danny Williams stared at them from one of the large monitors. “Daniel Williams, formerly of New Jersey. His father’s a firefighter, and his mother seems to volunteer pretty much everywhere – hospitals, Red Cross, you name it. He has three sisters and a brother, all still living in New Jersey. After working his way up to being the youngest homicide detective in New Jersey’s history – ”

“Wait. He was a cop?” Steve tried to picture the short, volatile man in a uniform and failed. 

Chin nodded. “Homicide. He had a pretty impressive arrest record too. But then one day, he just turned in his notice, started taking some classes, and became a doula.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Chin confirmed.

“I don’t buy it. From what I can tell, cops don’t just suddenly decide change careers out of the blue. There’s a story there.”

“I didn’t find one, but I didn’t look very hard. One of Danny’s sisters is a doula, but that’s the only connection I could find. I could dig deeper if you like.”

Steve wanted to say yes, but it was bad enough they had already spent this amount of time on his personal life. “That’s okay. We need to concentrate on our case.”

Chin ignored him. “He moved here approximately eight months ago, following his remarried ex-wife and her daughter, Grace. As you can probably imagine, he’s been having a tough time making a go of it here. Not only does he have to overcome the fact that he’s a male doula, but he’s also chosen a field that relies on word-of-mouth and client recommendations.”

“So in order to get work, he has to have worked with people who will recommend him,” Kono mused. “A bit of a catch 22.”

“Plus he’s an obvious haole, so that’s an uphill climb,” Meka added.

“And those stupid ties,” Steve muttered.

“What?”

“He wears ties, Meka.”

Meka stared at him. “Around his neck?”

Steve couldn’t help but grin. “Where else are you expecting him to wear them?”

“I know,” Kono said, shaking her head. “Who wears ties in Hawaii?”

They all took a moment to ponder this question before Chin swiped off his tablet and brought up a small list of names. “His local clients all seem to love him.”

“Even though there’ve only been… what? Five?” Meka mused, looking at the short list.

“And evidently, he doesn’t know the meaning of the term ex-client.” Chin looked at Kono. “Remember when Auntie was admitted into the hospital for emergency gallbladder surgery?”

Kono nodded. “Yeah. We were all waiting at the Hilton for her surprise birthday party.”

“Danny took her to the hospital and watched the kids until Uncle could get there.” Chin looked at Steve. “That was four months after she’d had her baby.”

Bells were ringing all over the place, and Steve’s gut confirmed that there was much more than they were seeing up on that monitor. “Well, he’ll be here in a few minutes. I’ll just ask him what I need to know.”

Kono grinned. “Want me to reserve an interrogation room, boss?”

“My office will be just fine,” he said dryly, not bothering to contain his smile. “Let’s get back to this case, though.” And just like that, they were all hunched back over the computer table, thoughts of doulas shoved to the back of their minds.

A while later, Kono finished her report: “… video has him running into this building, but HPD did a search, and they couldn’t find him.” She slipped back into her chair, the image on the monitor frozen on an aerial view of the building.

“Maybe he slipped through one of the exits.” Meka suggested.

“They had all the exits covered.” Kono said.

“Including fire exits?” Chin asked.

“Covered. They also looked through the floor plans and confirmed that there weren’t any places he could’ve hidden or snuck away.”

“How did we miss this guy?” Steve growled.

“He gave you the slip.” Danny leaned in the doorway, arms and ankles crossed.

Steve looked down at his watch, realizing that thirty minutes had turned into fifty.

“How long have you been there?” Kono asked curiously.

“Eh,” Danny said, tilting his hand from side to side as he pulled himself upright and strolled into the room. “This is a very nice setup you got going on here. It’s like the bridge of the Enterprise or something.”

“This is police business,” Steve said, standing. He wasn’t really sure why he was feeling so defensive and ignored the questioning stares of the other members of Five-0.

Danny gave him a look and stepped around him to stop in front of the frozen screen on the monitor. “Can you back this up?”

“How far?” Chin asked, hands reaching for the computer table.

“Just keep going until I tell you to stop.”

Steve felt like maybe he should say something, but he was kind of enjoying the look of Danny standing there, shirt tight enough to display his great shoulders and arms, pants just tight enough to emphasize his wonderfully shaped ass. Even the tie added a little something, bisecting his muscular chest.

Blinking, Steve slammed down on those thoughts hard. He’d been drawn to a few men throughout the years, but he’d never done anything about it. And now wasn’t the time for experimenting, not with Mary’s doula and with Catherine available.

“Okay…. stop there.” The screen froze on the final few seconds of the motorcycle being chased through the streets by HPD.

Steve refocused on the monitor. “What are we looking at?”

“The perp’s wearing white sneakers and blue jeans. And what’s with the long, flowing coat? How many people you know ride motorcycles trying to look like Clint Eastwood in “Pale Rider”?”

“It could get caught in the wheels.” Chin nodded. “I noticed that, but I just figured he was trying to mask himself.”

“Yeah, but it’s more than that,” Danny said. “Sometimes, when the air catches it just right, you can see the plaid shirt underneath. And he’s wearing a baseball cap. Not a motorcycle helmet, a normal, random baseball cap. It’s low on his face, which means that we can see his dark hair in the back. Now, can you fast forward it slowly?”

Kono grinned, hands pressing on the table.

“Perfect.” Danny’s arm started pointing at different areas on the monitor. “So here he is pulling up at the apartment complex. Here he goes, running inside, and here comes HPD, loaded for bear. They go inside, and the people living there start running out. Now, can you go a little slower?” Danny waited a few seconds before saying, “And… stop.” He pointed to a large man helping two people out of the building. “That’s the guy.”

Steve moved closer. “How do you know?”

“White sneakers, same approximate size.”

“And look at the shirt.” Kono said, excited.

“The same plaid. He got rid of the coat and hat,” Meka added. “And he has the dark hair that looks about the same length as the perp.”

Danny waved his arm toward the screen. “He used helping those two out of the building to make it look like he lives there.”

“He walked right past everyone,” Steve muttered, disgusted that they hadn’t caught that.

“It looks like that was his plan all along,” Danny said, turning to face the team.

“It’s actually not a bad idea,” Kono mused.

Chin’s hands moved fast over the table. “I think I can isolate one of these shots, get a good enough image to run through facial recognition. If I can’t ID him, I should be able to ID one of the other two. Someone’ll give him up.” He looked up at Danny. “Good call, brah.”

Danny shrugged. “I’d love to be able to say that I just figured it out using my natural deductive reasoning, but we had a similar case in Jersey back in the day.”

Steve zoned out in the brief moment Danny had managed to place his hands in pockets of those tight pants, but within a blink, he was back in the moment. “Do you miss it?” The question tumbled out of his mouth before he had a chance to take it back.

“Being a detective?” Danny looked thoughtful. “Yeah, sometimes. I miss helping people that way, you know, seeing justice done.” He lifted a shoulder. “Now I help people in other ways.” He pointed to Chin. “You I recognize, although not by name. You – ” he pointed to Kono, “look familiar. You – ” he nodded toward Meka, “no idea.” He placed his fingertips on his chest. “Danny Williams.”

“Chin Ho Kelly.” Chin walked around the table and shook Danny’s hand. “Over there are Kono Kalakaua and Meka Hanamoa.”

Danny nodded to the other two, his hands back in his pockets. Steve decided he needed to change his focus. Tilting his head toward his office, he asked, “You ready?”

“Right.” Danny clasped his hands together. “You’re a busy man.” He strutted past Steve back to the doorway, grabbing a briefcase. He turned, arm out in a ‘go ahead’ gesture.

Steve just shook his head, leading the way to his office and standing by the door to let Danny walk in first. The shorter man arched an eyebrow as he strolled into the room. He managed to sit down in the visitor’s chair while still acting like he owned the place. Steve tried not find it hot as hell.


	4. Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Danny sat down in the most comfortable visitor’s chair in the middle of the most expansive office in the most lavish police headquarters he’d ever seen. He tried not to ogle, unlike what he knew he was doing when he arrived in the office to find the entire team leaning over that magic table and watching surveillance videos. He’d taken a little ‘me’ time to enjoy the way Steve McGarrett’s cargo pants molded to his backside. The man shifted, the play of muscles under his tight cotton t-shirt providing Danny with a little more to enjoy before their conversation grabbed his attention. Sighing regretfully, he’d shifted and looked at the monitor as well.

That short amount of time he spent helping out with the case had Danny falling in love with police work all over again. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed working with other people, the play of ideas off each other, putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Reminding himself that it was all behind him, he pushed the memories back down where they belonged and followed McGarrett to his office, throwing a wave at the other teammates before they hunkered down and returned to work. He allowed himself one longing glance at them before shifting his focus.

Sure, the look he gave McGarrett as he passed into the office was a little flirty, but he doubted the other man really noticed. The fact that he hadn’t been summarily grabbed and tossed out on his ass pretty much proved that.

He sat down in the visitor’s chair and pulled it close enough to the desk so he could comfortably lay out two copies of the contract, his Mary notebook, and his phone. Grabbing the lucky pen Grace had given him for his birthday, he looked up at McGarrett, who’d seated himself in a chair that looked butter-soft. He slid the contract toward the other man. “This is my standard contract, laying out…”

Danny ran through the checklist detailing what Mary and Steve could expect of him, his rates, and the other specifics of the contract. Danny was impressed with McGarrett’s focus, his attention to detail, the thoughtful requests for clarification. Danny knew the man wasn’t dumb – one didn’t stumble into becoming head of an elite task force – but dealing with contracts required a totally different mindset, one that Steve McGarrett seemed to be able to tap into without difficulty, the bastard.

Danny’d had to take night classes in order to understand the verbiage, and he was still a little iffy on some of the nuances. It was one of the many, many reasons why he started with a boilerplate contract and adapted it for each client.

Somewhere along the line, Steve had stopped looking at his copy of the contract and had slid his chair around the desk to read over Danny’s shoulder. Danny told himself that it made sense for Steve to see what changes Danny was making, although he’d be fixing it on his computer and sending the revised contract to Steve within the next day. He decided to enjoy the other man’s closeness, the combined smell of saltwater and gun oil and… he didn’t know how else to describe it other than sunlight. Strangely, enough, it was comforting. And sexy as hell.

They were just winding up when Chin knocked on the doorframe. “We got him, boss. But it looks like he might just be the middle man.”

Steve looked up. “Where is he?”

“Downstairs in interrogation.”

Steve looked at Danny. “Want to come along for old times’ sake? You can’t go into the room itself, but you could watch.” After opening a desk drawer, he pulled a gun out from the back of his pants and gently placed it inside.

Danny felt the old pull, and a fervent “yes!” was on the tip of his tongue when he realized that becoming any more involved in police work would just amount to more heartache when he had to distance himself again and focus on the ladies. “Thanks, but I’m good.” He gathered the paperwork, shoving it into his briefcase. “You’ll have a revised copy of the contract in your inbox by tomorrow afternoon.” He took a breath. “I know you need to go do your thing, but at some point, I’d like to talk to you about your role in the pregnancy.”

Steve looked at him curiously as he rested a foot on his chair and pulled a gun out of his ankle holster. “What do you mean, my role?” He switched feet and unstrapped a knife.

Trying not to get distracted, Danny said, “Have you thought about how involved you plan on being throughout Mary’s pregnancy? Are you planning on going to any appointments or Lamaze classes with her? Will you be present at the birth?” He tried not to smile at the queasy look on the other man’s face.

“Is that – I mean, I’m not the father or anything, so it’d be weird, right?” He pulled what looked like a box cutter and a – wait.

“Is that a grenade? Did you just pull a grenade out of your pants pocket?”

Steve held it up a moment before placing it and the box cutter into the drawer. “It’s fine; it’s safe.”

“That doesn’t –” Danny stood as pieces of his life flashed before his eyes. “I have a daughter, one I love very much. I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from killing me before I have a chance to watch her grow up!”

Steve looked confused, which was kind of adorable, actually. Too bad it was mixed up with all the crazy. “It’s not going to go off; the pin’s still in.”

“I don’t know what they taught you in the Army –”

“Navy,” Steve corrected.

Waving him off, Danny continued, “– but walking around in the regular world with a grenade in your pocket is a bad idea on so many levels!”

“It’s okay. I’m a professional.”

“Oh, you’re a professional,” Danny said, using his fingers to bracket the last word.

Steve nodded, smiling.

“I didn’t realize that being a professional meant that you’re perfect. One little mistake with a grenade, and ‘I’m sorry; I didn’t mean for that to happen’ just doesn’t cut it.”

“Danny –”

“No!” Danny sliced a hand through the air. “Maybe you just didn’t think it through when your sister came to your home, and you offered to let her and the baby live there.”

“It’s her home too –”

“I’m not finished. “ Danny was on a roll, and he wanted to get it out before this teachable moment lost its power. “You’re going to be partially responsible for a life, a baby who will, pretty quickly, start moving around, playing with anything he or she can get his or her hands on, putting anything and everything in his or her mouth. Including a grenade.”

Steve sighed. “I don’t just leave them lying around.” He closed the door and pressed some numbers to lock it.

“So after you’ve been working, say, four days in a row, and you come home exhausted, you never just grab everything in your pockets and drop them on an end table or on a dresser?” Danny saw Steve narrow his eyes. “Everything like people’s names and numbers on a piece of paper or, perhaps, a grenade?” He nodded as Steve opened his mouth. “Yeah, Mary told me how she found my number.” He clasped his hands together, folding his fingers. “Look. I get it. You didn’t ask for this. But what you’re failing to realize is that Mary and this baby are going to need more from you than just a roof over their heads.” He saw a brief flash of panic and felt himself soften, standing up and walking toward the other man. “I’m not saying that you’re expected to stop bursting through picture windows and jumping off of buildings in a single bound, and you definitely aren’t going to have to make any changes tomorrow. We’ll take it slow. Remember, I’m here for Mary, but I’m also here for her family. That’s you.” He pressed his hand against Steve’s arm, thrown at the unexpected warmth. Dropping his hand, he stepped back. “I’ll just let you go… um... do your thing.”

Steve blinked a moment, nodded, and left the room. After a few seconds, he stuck his head back inside. “Thanks.”

“It’s what I do,” Danny said, smile fading as Steve’s head disappeared. He picked up his briefcase and left the office, wondering if Steve had been thanking him for his services as a cop or as a doula – and wondering about his own answer.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

For the next few days, Danny’s words followed Steve. After inviting Mary to stay at the house, he’d fallen back into their normal pattern. They were like planets, circling each other but never really touching. It hadn’t really occurred to him that her pregnancy was going to affect him more than cleaning up after his sister and occasionally holding her baby or buying it a present. Danny had made him see that he’d not only promised Mary a house, he’d promised to help her build a home for the baby. That meant he’d have to work on actually being present even more than he’d thought.

True to his word, Danny had sent the revised contract the next day, and after quickly signing it, Steve shipped it out and logged into his bank’s website to schedule automatic payments.

And then one of Chin’s informants provided some information about a shipment of vials of a new bioweapon that was making its way to the islands, and Five-0 spent the next two weeks chasing it down.

Steve made sure he called Mary every day, checking in with her to see how she was doing. It seemed like every word, every idea started with Danny. Danny suggested that she do this, Danny got her in contact with that person. Danny went with her to her midwifery appointment and massaged her back when it was sore.

Steve was starting to hate hearing about perfect Danny.

He knew he should be grateful, that at least Mary had someone to rely on to be there when he couldn’t, but for some reason, it rankled that it was Danny.

He was talking about it during lunch one day, and he stopped when he noticed the glances between his team. “What?”

“You sound jealous,” Meka said.

Steve sputtered. “I’m not jealous! I’m happy that Mary has someone who can be there for her so much since I can’t. I’m just saying that maybe she shouldn’t put all her focus on a guy who’s doing this as a job. He’s not her friend.”

More grins all around. “What?!”

“If you don’t know, maybe we shouldn’t be the ones to tell you,” Kono said, dimples flashing as she gathered up her trash.

Steve opened his mouth, but Chin warned, “Be certain you’re ready to hear the answer before you ask the question.”

Steve thought a moment and switched gears. “Has the lab finished running the prints from the gun?”

It was to his credit that Chin didn’t crack a smile as he pulled up the case on the computer table.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Steve slid into the house on Sunday night after successfully taking down a drug cartel intent on establishing roots on the islands, still a little revved up from the day. He and the team had gone out for drinks and closed the place down, which was why he found himself sneaking inside at two thirty in the morning. As he reset the alarm, he wondered why he bothered trying to be quiet. Mary slept like the dead; he could hold a party and she’d probably just sigh and roll over.

All of sudden, the hairs on his arms raised, and he quickly turned, leveling the gun he’d pulled out at the sofa.

“Woah there, tiger,” Mary said, hands up in the moonlight. “I come in peace.”

“Why are you awake?” Steve returned the gun to the holder against his back.

“I can’t sleep.”

Steve flipped on the light. “So you decided to sit in the living room in the dark?”

Mary shrugged, looking a little lost.

Steve wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do. He took a shot in the dark. “How about some warm milk?”

Mary perked up at that, leading the way into the kitchen. Amused at the fact that she’d automatically seated herself so he could do the work, Steve pulled out a pan and headed for the refrigerator. “I know we haven’t had a lot of time to talk.”

“You’re busy keeping the islands safe, but I do appreciate the phone calls.”

Steve didn’t know what to make of her tone. She didn’t seem mad at him, but she did seem sad. He figured he’d throw a few things out there, see what caught. “Feeling okay?” He poured milk into the pan, turned on the burner, and returned the carton to the refrigerator.

“Yeah.”

He chanced a glance at her, sitting with her chin resting on her hand.

“So what’d you and Danny do today?” 

“He took me to a knitting shop. I didn’t even know Hawaii had knitting shops! There were, like, four or five older women just sitting there knitting and talking, and they were all so sweet. I think I’m going to end up with a couple of pair of baby booties, and one woman wants to know the sex as soon as possible so she can knit me a baby blanket. Danny’s with his daughter tonight. He finally moved into a place decent enough so she could stay the night.” She smiled wistfully, taking the mug Steve handed her and putting it on the table. “I hope my little one turns out like her. She’s adorable.”

“You’ve met her?”

“Oh yeah. Danny doesn’t miss an opportunity to spend time with her. He moved here from New Jersey after his bitch of an ex-wife got remarried and moved here. He has this big family back there, and you can tell that he misses them, but he says he doesn’t regret the move, because it means he can spend time with his Monkey.” She laughed at Steve’s expression. “That’s his name for her. Her real name’s Grace.”

Steve already knew that Mary spent an inordinate amount of time with Danny, and he was starting to get worried. This might be personal for Mary, but eventually he’d move on to another pregnant woman. “You know, Mare, Danny seems like a good guy, but this is his job.” He turned away, focusing on stirring the milk. “I’m just saying that your emotions are going to be all over the place, and I don’t want – ” Steve stopped, took a breath. “Eventually, he’s going to have to focus on other pregnant women.”

Mary’s silence made him nervous, but he refused to turn until the milk had heated.

“You don’t think that I’m special to him?” Mary’s small voice was even worse than the silence.

Steve didn’t want to hurt his sister, but he knew that having her see reason now could spare her heartbreak in the future. The last thing she needed to deal with was an irreconcilable crush. He wasn’t a psychologist, but he wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she wasn’t with the baby’s father. Maybe it was that Danny was here for her in a way that no other man was. He started to feel guilty. Maybe he could work out something, go to some of her appointments. Turning off the burner, he picked up the pan and turned to the table, hoping she wasn’t crying. “Maybe –”

He stopped, staring at his sister, who had a hand pressed against her mouth as she tried to keep her laughter silent. After a second, she dropped her hand and cut loose with a loud belly laugh.

Steve tried to look stern, but relief had him chuckling as he poured milk into the mug. “Very funny.”

Eventually, she regained control, taking Steve’s hand after he sat. “I get that you’re trying to be protective, but Danny’s just a friend. He’s my doula, not my boyfriend.”

The McGarretts had never been a touchy –feely family, so his sister’s unaccustomed grip felt strange at first. Not unwelcome and definitely comforting, but it was going to take some getting used to.

With a look at their intertwined hands, Mary said, “I think these hormones have made me a little… emotional.” She tried to pull it back.

Steve firmed his grip. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

Mary gave him a small smile and grabbed her mug with her free hand. “Besides, Danny’s still in love with his ex.”

Steve’s heart suddenly lurched. “Really?”

Her smile widening, she said, “Nope,” and took a large gulp. “So feel free to keep checking out his ass.”

Steve sputtered for a moment. Mary had discovered his interest in men years before when they’d run into each other outside of a gay bar – he’d been trying to work up the nerve to go inside, and she’d been passing by with friends – but they’d never spoken of it. “I don’t check out his ass!”

“Mmm hmm,” Mary said, looking over her mug with twinkling eyes.

Steve thought he deserved some good karma points for only cursing out his sister in his mind.

Another Friday and another successful closed case had Steve inviting everyone back to his house for an impromptu cookout. Normally, it was just the team over for a casual meal, but every so often, he could appreciate a spontaneous get together of reasonable size. Initially, he’d only planned to invite his ohana, but a few other HPD officers were around, so he invited them as well. On his way home, he’d gotten a call from Kamekona, who wanted to know why he wasn’t home yet to let the large man inside.

Kamekona was just the first uninvited visitor that evening. Somehow Steve found himself the host for what was turning out to be a pretty decent party. Kamekona had brought a mound of shrimp, and various Kalakaua and Kelly relatives showed up, each bearing at least one dish. He spotted some of his neighbors, which made him relieved that he wasn’t going to have to try to placate them about the noise. At some point, someone set up a DJ booth on the lanai opposite the grill, so the music was pumping quite hard.

Not two hours after he’d arrived home, his beach was filled with people, the youngest an adorable three month old and the oldest, Kono’s tutu, who was reportedly ninety seven. Reportedly, because no one had the guts to actually ask her.

After a couple of hours, Steve relinquished the tongs and the grill to Chin so he could change out the overflowing trash cans. He was about to return to the lanai after filling up the large trash cans in front of the house when his attention was diverted by a movement near the end of the row of parked cars. He spotted a familiar silhouette standing uncertainly beside a pretty sweet looking red Camaro. He watched as the man turned away from the house, ran his hand through his hair, reached for the handle, then pulled back. He couldn’t help smiling once he realized it was Danny. Squinting in the dwindling light to get a better look, he thought he saw the man’s mouth move before taking a breath and pulling open the car door.

Suddenly, he felt the need to keep the man there, introduce him to the people in his house. Slamming the tops on the large trashcans, he shouted, “Hey!” He jogged down the street and paused at the hood of the car. Suddenly uncertain of what to say, he absently touched the car. “Nice ride.”

Danny gave a half shrug. “I met a guy who knows a guy.”

Steve looked back at the car, wondering about the vin number and noting the number of boxes piled in the backseat.

“The car’s legal,” Danny said with humor in his voice.

He held up his hands. “I didn’t say anything.”

The other man snorted.

“So, you coming in?”

Williams looked down at the cell phone in his hand. “Mary and I were supposed to go over some birthing options tonight, but she just called me to tell me that she’s out with friends.”

Steve frowned, still uncomfortable with his pregnant sister hanging out with strangers.

Danny grabbed Steve’s arm, the pressure warm. “She’s a grown woman who’s about to be a mother. Cut her some slack, okay?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Steve lied.

“Mmm hmm,” Danny said, clearly not buying it for a second, his hand still on Steve’s wrist.

“Come in anyway. I invited a few people; somehow we ended up with a party.” Steve didn’t want to call attention to the fact that Danny was still touching him, especially since he was kind of enjoying it.

“That’s okay. I’m just gonna.” Danny released Steve and gestured behind him.

Suddenly determined to get his way, Steve pressed. “You can’t tell me that you have anything planned, since Mary just ditched you. It’ll be fun.” He grabbed Danny arm and began pulling him toward the house.

Steve smiled when he heard the chirp of the car alarm activation, letting him know that Danny wasn’t really that unhappy about being shanghaied. However, he didn’t let go. Holding on to Danny turned out to be better than having Danny grabbing him. Instead of walking inside the house, they took the path directly to the lanai, Steve snagging a couple of beers as they passed the cooler. He finally let go of Danny as he handed the man the beer and led the way to Chin.

Chin refused to relinquish the tongs. “These steaks and I have a thing now.” He looked at Danny. “Danny Williams. Thanks for your help the other day.”

“It was like old times, Chin… something,” Danny said. “Sorry. I’m great with faces, terrible with names I haven’t heard before.”

“Know a lot of people named Chin, do you?” Steve couldn’t help asking.

“Since I have one on my face, Steven,” Danny said with exaggerated care, “I was able to remember that part.”

“Chin Ho Kelly,” Chin said.

“Kelly…” Danny mused.

“You helped a cousin of mine a few months back,” Chin said.

“Haliaka,” Danny said, smiling. “And little Roselani, eight pounds, four ounces, nineteen inches long.”

“You remember that?” Steve asked.

“Contrary to how it might look, a male doula doesn’t tend to get a lot of clients.”

Disliking the tired resignation under the slightly bitter tone, Steve said, “From what I understand, everyone raves about your skills.”

Danny snorted, but Steve didn’t miss the small, pleased smile before Danny pressed his bottle to his lips.

As if they’d rehearsed it, everyone took turns coming up to Danny, introducing themselves. Steve stood quietly, unobtrusively keeping one of Danny’s flailing hands filled with beer from the cooler at his feet. For some reason, watching Danny interact with his Ohana, fitting in so effortlessly, filled Steve with pride.

Eventually, he managed to regain control of his own damn grill, careful not to show how pleased he was when Danny continued to stand by him.

“You gonna get something to eat?” Kono asked, appearing at Danny’s side. “We have shrimp, pizza, all kinds of fruit…”

Danny allowed himself to be pulled away, taking a moment to share a comical look with Steve.

Feeling a little bereft but happy that Danny was fitting in so well, Steve took a moment to watch one of Chin’s older aunties pull him out to the small patch of grass that had become a dance floor. He quickly hid a smile behind his hand when Chin turned and glared at him.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were having a party?” Mary appeared, frowning as her hands rested on her belly.

“It was a last minute thing,” Steve said. “And Danny told me that you were meeting some friends.” He gave her a sidelong glance as he slid some steaks onto a platter. “I didn’t know you still had friends on the island.”

“These are new friends, mom friends,” Mary said. “They all have kids. Danny was doula for one or two of them, they met other new moms, and next thing you know, they’re getting together every so often.”

Steve felt better, considering she’d been hanging out with potheads right before their dad shipped them off the island. He’d run into one of them sitting handcuffed at HPD when he first returned to the island.

“Hey, she’s back,” Danny said, two plates in his hands. “Did you have fun?”

“I did, actually,” Mary said.

“Normally, I don’t like to gloat,” Danny began.

“And yet,” Steve said, sharing a grin with Mary.

“But I knew you’d hit it off with them,” Danny finished, narrowing his eyes at Steve.

“I didn’t think I’d have a lot in common with them,” Mary admitted. She explained to Steve, “I thought they’d be older, you know? But out of the five women, two were my age, and the others were pretty cool.”

“Sit down,” Danny said, glaring at two kids on chairs until they got up and shuffled away. Using his foot, he dragged the wooden chair closer to the grill. “Did you have dinner?”

“I wasn’t very hungry,” Mary admitted sniffing as she sat, “but now I could eat.”

Danny shoved a plate at her and turned to Steve. “I figured you hadn’t eaten either, so I made you a plate. I don’t know what you like, so I got you a little bit of everything.”

Touched that Danny’d thought of him, Steve regretfully held up the tongs.

“My turn,” Chin said, snatching the tongs out of his hands. “Take the plate and sit down.”

“Your dance partner looking for another go ‘round?” Danny asked.

Chin grinned. “I’ve done my time. It’s another cousin’s turn.”

Steve dragged his chair beside Mary’s and looked at his full plate. “This is a lot of food.”

“Oooh, I haven’t had ahi since I’ve been back!” Mary said happily, stabbing the fish with her fork.

“And you’re not going to have any for a little while longer,” Danny said, snatching the fork and sliding the fish into his mouth.

Mary whined and looked up at him sadly.

“Too much mercury,” Danny said, handing her back the fork. “You can have the shrimp, though, in moderation.”

“Can I eat the rest of this stuff?”

It took a few moments – and Chin and Steve’s help – to figure out all of the different foods, but eventually the rest of the plate passed, and Mary dug in like she hadn’t eaten in days.

Steve hadn’t realized he’d been so hungry either and had finished half his plate before he knew it. He watched Danny chatting with Chin and Kono, who’d wandered up, and realized that Danny had given Mary his plate. “Hey, Danny, go get some food before it’s all gone.”

Danny looked over at the loaded table and arched an eyebrow. “Where’s it gonna go?”

Chin pointed the tongs over towards Kamekona and his cousins.

“Point taken,” Danny said. He made sure Chin and Kono were good before heading back over to the food.

“I like him,” Chin said.

“Me too,” Kono seconded.

“He’s a nice guy,” Mary said around a mouth full of food. “It sucks that he’s so poor and homeless.”

“What do you mean?”

“The moms know, like, everything that’s going on. One of ‘em said that Danny’s new place had some sort of infestation. And he’d just saved up enough to move somewhere nice enough for his daughter to spend the night.”

“Where’s he living now?” Chin asked.

Mary shrugged. “I was actually gonna ask him the same thing. The ladies think he’s totally homeless, because he used up all the money on the deposit for the new place, and it’s going to take time for him to get it back.”

“Maybe he has an emergency stash,” Kono suggested.

“I don’t think so,” Kono said. “His tie looks a little frayed, and so did the one the other day.”

“So are his cuffs,” Chin said. “He seems to be the kind of guy who takes pride in his appearance –”

“ – after all, he wears a tie. In Hawaii –”

“ – so he must be hard up if he’s wearing those clothes instead of replacing them with something nicer.”

Mary stared at the cousins. “You sure you two aren’t twins? That was awesome!” She looked thoughtful. “It would be cool to have twins.”

Ignoring his sister, Steve frowned. “He had a lot of boxes in his car.”

“He could stay on my couch,” Chin suggested.

Steve knew how much Chin prized his privacy, and it was a big thing for him to make the offer. He looked over at Mary, who simply said, “Do it.”

Danny came back with a plate piled high with food. “Shamu and the wondertwins over there were razzing me about my third plate, said they’d keep a space open for me at the shrimp truck, whatever the hell that means.” He stopped, looked at them warily. “What?”

“Um,” Steve wasn’t sure how to broach the offer. He understood enough about Danny to know that the man had his pride. He wouldn’t take them up on the offer if he thought it was out of pity. “So we’ve been catching some pretty involved cases at work lately, and I’m worried that something might happen to Mary while I’m out on a stakeout or something.”

“She has her phone; she knows she can call me,” Danny said, snagging a shrimp. “Besides, I’m here most of the time anyway.”

“Yeah, about that,” Steve said, trying to work his way around the offer.

Mary sighed. “Look. Why don’t you just move in here? We have an extra room.”

Steve saw a few expressions pass quickly over Danny’s face. The confusion, anger, and resentment he could understand, but was that fear? Panic? Then Danny’s face became smooth like the ocean, his eyes calm. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Why not?” Mary asked.

“It’s not professional,” Danny said.

“They have live-in nannies and nurses. Couldn’t you be a live-in doula?”

Steve sat back, resting his empty plate on his lap. Mary seemed to be handling Danny just fine. The small smiles on Chin and Kono’s faces as they stood behind Danny made Steve work hard at keeping one off his own.

“I have other commitments…”

“You always go to their homes, although they’d be welcome here, right Steve?” She waited for Steve’s nod before she continued. “And it’s not like I need you 24/7, especially when you keep making me go on these play dates all the time. We have an extra bedroom, and we live in this safe neighborhood with a beach, so you could bring Grace over. You could sleep on the sofa, and she could sleep in your bedroom when she stayed over for the night, and we could do girly things like paint our toenails and braid each other’s hair.”

Steve’d been avidly watching Danny, and he could tell that the man desperately wanted to say yes. Mary’s arguments were all compelling, but it was only once she mentioned Grace that Steven found Danny’s resolve start to crumble.

“I could totally watch her whenever you had a date or something, and I’d even do it for free.”

Steve’s humour dried immediately. Danny was busy building his clientele base. When would he have time to date? Who was he dating?

“And then, say you wanted to spend the night at her house making sweet, sweet love – ” Mary continued.

“Stop. Please, just stop,” Danny pleaded, hand out. “I appreciate the offer, you have no idea how much, but I can’t just –”

“You can pay rent,” Steve blurted out, ignoring the three sets of glares turned his way to focus on Danny’s relieved smile.

“Of course I’ll pay rent! My mother did not raise a mooch, thank you very much. And it would only be until I can find another place.”

Steve wondered if anyone else noticed Danny’s change in tense. Always a man of action, he decided they’d better get Danny moved in before he changed his mind. “We can unload the boxes from your car right now,” he said, pushing himself out of the chair.

“What? Now? In the middle of your party?” Danny looked like he was already trying to figure out how to back out.

“The middle means that it’ll still be going on when we finish,” Chin said, following Steve’s lead flawlessly.

Mary took Steve and Danny’s empty plates as Steve herded the blond through the house so he could unlock the front door, Kono and Chin close behind.

Two trips later, they had all the boxes in the guest bedroom.

“We can fix up the room tomorrow or whenever you’re free,” Steve said, looking around his old bedroom. “Most of this stuff is left over from when I used to live here before.” He fingered an old football trophy. “I’ll pack it up, and we can pick up whatever else you need from your storage unit.”

“What storage unit?” Danny asked absently, rooting through a box he’d placed on the bed. He pulled out a picture frame with a sigh of satisfaction and carefully set it beside the bed.

“Picture of your girlfriend?” Kono teased. If Steve glared at her, it was because she needed to mind her own business.

“This right here,” Danny said softly, picking the frame back up and handing it to Kono, “is my life.”

Steve and Chin pressed behind Kono to see a pretty little girl smiling out at them, her hair in a braid falling over each shoulder.

“She’s adorable,” Kono said, handing the picture back over. “What’s her name?”

“Grace,” Danny said, smiling down at it.

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Yeah,” Kono agreed with Chin. “If you want, I can teach her to surf.”

“No thank you,” Danny said firmly.

“I surfed professionally,” Kono said, hurt in her voice.

“I’m sure you’d be an excellent teacher,” Danny said, walking over to her and taking her hand. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather she take up something a little farther away from the water, like maybe joining the math club.”

“She could do both,” Chin suggested. “I did.”

“What do you have against the water?” Steve had to ask.

“There are dangerous things out there, things that would like nothing better than to snack on my little girl. And don’t get me started on surfing injuries and bikinis.”

Steve blinked. “We can’t talk about this without a drink.”

“Talk all you want,” Danny said, following the others down the stairs and back to the party, “but there’s no way I’m letting my baby girl get eaten by a shark while she’s trying to learn how to balance on a foam board.”


	5. Settling In

It took a few seconds of staring blankly around the unfamiliar bedroom the next morning before Danny remembered where he was. He also remembered that he hadn’t unpacked his toiletries and wasn’t quite sure which box contained them. Deciding that it was way too early for clear thought, especially without his coffee, he went into the one open door and took care of his more urgent needs before stumbling back to his bedroom. Throwing some sweats over his boxers and a proper t-shirt over his wife beater, he managed to make it downstairs and into the kitchen without incident, despite the fact that this house was vastly larger than his last postage-sized apartment. He was opening and closing drawers, lifting various electrical devices on the counter when Steve wandered in from the lanai, rubbing a towel over his chest.

“Good morning. Sleep well?”

Danny grunted.

“Not a morning person, I see.”

Danny eyeballed Steve, deciding that maybe it wasn’t too early to stop a moment and appreciate the fit body clad in only a pair of wet swim trunks drooping delightfully low.

Steve misunderstood the look. “I try to swim a few miles every morning.”

“Helps you keep your girlish figure?” Danny asked, his voice still rough from sleep.

Grinning, Steve watched Danny return to his search. “What’re you looking for?”

“Coffee maker,” Danny muttered. “Your kitchen is like something from Star Wars.”

Steve laughed, distracting Danny again as he ran the towel through his hair. “We actually don’t have one.”

It took a few seconds for Steve’s words to sink in, and even then, Danny was certain he’d misunderstood. “Say what now?”

“We don’t have one. Well,” he amended, “we had an old one, but I drink tea, and Mary’s not going to be drinking any caffeine for a while, so…” he held out a hand for Danny to follow his words to the logical conclusion.

“You don’t have any coffee?” Danny couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the thought. “What time is it?”

Steve looked over to the microwave. “It’s seven thirty.”

“What the hell? Why’m I up so early?” Danny glared at Steve. “Why’re you up so early?”

“I usually get up around five or six and go for a swim, maybe a run.”

“Mmm,” Danny muttered, heading to the front door.

“Where’re you going?”

“Coffee,” Danny said, stopping when he reached for his wallet and keys on a table that no longer existed. Sighing, he turned and headed back for the stairs.

“Nice bed head,” Steve called, earning the finger Danny shot him as he climbed the stairs to his room.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Steve grinned as he climbed the stairs after his new roommate. While he’d been teasing, he found the wildness of Danny’s spectacular morning coif strangely appealing. It was nice knowing that already Danny felt comfortable enough to take off the armour, the tie, the carefully tamed hair, the button-down shirts, and just allow Steve to see him in all his untamed glory. He took his shower and got dressed, wondering about Danny’s plans for the day. If his normal 3-minute shower only took about two and he almost fell putting his pants on, he wasn’t about to think about the reasons why.

Despite falling into bed after two in the morning, Steve had automatically awakened at four, grabbing a towel and quietly walking outside for his swim. Part of him had wanted to pretend that his restlessness had to do with anything other than the warm body now sleeping in his old bedroom. He was a little confused at his anticipatory feelings but figured it was due to the fact that Mary’s arrival and now Danny’s inclusion made the house less of a museum and more of a home. Taking advantage of his extra energy, he’d also gone for a light run and then a dip in the water to clean off the sweat before returning to the house.

He was conveniently in the kitchen making a smoothie when Danny came back down the stairs.

He felt the man’s eyes on his back but deliberately didn’t say anything for a few seconds, waiting to see what Danny would do. After the silence continued, he casually turned to find a fully dressed Danny, frown on his face, patting at his pockets. “Lose something?”

Danny looked at him, his sleep-filled eyes kind of adorable. “I’m not sure.”

“Got your wallet and keys?”

“Damn it,” Danny growled, turning back to the stairs.

Grinning, Steve returned to his smoothie.

“I’m just gonna… when did you change?”

After pouring his smoothie into a glass, Steve turned and leaned against the counter. “I showered and changed after you went back upstairs the first time.”

“That was like, five seconds. How can you function?”

Steve lifted up his smoothie. “Does the body good. Want some?”

Danny’s frown got even deeper as he stared at the glass. “Looks like cud.”

“You an expert on cud?”

“No, Steven, I have an imagination. I know what grass looks like, I’ve mown a lawn, I think I can take an educated guess about how cud would look – actually, I can just look at your glass and know.” Danny rubbed at his eyes. “I need coffee.”

“Are you okay to drive?” Steve asked, only half kidding.

Danny just waved him off and walked to the door.

That was when it hit Steve that he hadn’t given Danny the new password to the security system. Then he realized that he could give it to him later, and a strange warm feeling passed over his chest. Ignoring it, he finished his smoothie and headed out to the garage to work on the Marquis.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

If he’d needed proof that he was no longer twenty-two and now unable to function well off of four hours sleep anymore, Danny had it, he thought as he took his first sip of the coffee it had taken him an hour of waiting in line to buy. Well, he amended, it probably only felt like an hour. Worried about his driving ability, he’d pulled over to the first coffee shop he’d found after leaving Steve and Mary’s house and ordered the largest, strongest coffee they had. He’d had to refuse all the bells and whistles – in certain areas, once a cop always a cop, so no thank you, he didn’t want whip cream on the top or some vanilla or hazelnut syrup – but eventually emerged with what turned out to be one of the best cups he’d tasted in quite a while.

Grudgingly admitting to himself that maybe it had been worth the wait, Danny still made a mental note to check his finances to see if he could somehow buy a cheap coffee maker. It would be more cost effective in the long run to brew his own, and he wouldn’t endanger anyone else with his morning, non-caffeinated driving. The coffee maker he’d lovingly brought with him from New Jersey had made the trip to the island and survived three crappy apartments before finally giving up right as he’d been forced to leave this last place. He’d automatically assumed that Steve would have one, but while he’d realized that the man was a machine, he hadn’t known that Steve’s model required the equivalent of a green field in order to continue functioning rather than caffeine like the rest of the world.

Glancing at his watch, he hopped in his car to meet with the first of three possible clients. If he could manage to bond with at least two and get them on board, he might be able to save up enough to get out of casa de McGarrett. As much as he appreciated that they’d taken him in, he felt like a charity case, and that didn’t sit well with him. But to finally have a place where Grace could spend the night… well that turned their offer into a reality. He’d swallow fire for his daughter.

After getting the directions to the first house on his phone, Danny started up his car and hoped for the best. Because it meant that it would bring him that much closer to his having his own place, one where he could bring Gracie.

Seven hours later, Danny walked into the McGarrett house – and what was it with the front door being unlocked? – and was surprised at the feeling of warmth at hearing noises coming from the kitchen; it was the closest feeling to home that he’d found since moving away from Jersey. “Hey,” he called out.

“In the kitchen,” came Steve’s voice.

Strolling in, Danny put the two bags in his arms on the table and dropped in a chair, sighing.

“Tough day?” Steve asked, rinsing some greens.

“Just a little complicated,” Danny said. He hadn’t planned on saying much, but he found words just spilling out of his mouth. He talked about a couple who already had three kids they couldn’t control who were looking more for a babysitter than a doula, he explained about the second couple whose husband looked at Danny like he was at best into baby snatching and at worst a rapist, and he sighed when he told Steve about the third couple who actually needed him but who really couldn’t afford him. He didn’t mention that he’d actually taken on the last couple as clients at a vastly reduced rate because he could tell that he was going to be needed. In fact, in this initial interview, he’d gone out on a limb and actually asked to touch her stomach, creating a foundation to build on when the baby became a little more advanced. He’d had to work quickly and was now starting to feel the affects.

“That sucks,” Steve commiserated.

“It’s not so bad,” Danny said. “I checked in with a couple of my families, and they all seemed to be doing well. Plus, I talked to Gracie after tennis practice, and she had a good day.” He noticed his hands shaking and slid them underneath the table. One of the downsides to sharing a house was that he wasn’t going to be able to just come home and collapse whenever he had what Rachel used to call his “episodes”. He figured he’d probably be able to hide the shakes for minor cases like he had now, but the tough ones where he could barely make it home before collapsing and needing to sleep at least twelve hours could become problematic. It would be tough under normal roommate conditions, but Steve was a cop – or not a cop, a SEAL in the reserves, he’d explained the night before. Either way, he was trained to observe. But, Danny decided, he’d figure that out when it came up. What mattered now were all the other roommate problem areas.

He sat a second, watching Steve cut some tomatoes before tossing them in a large bowl of salad, before he said, “I guess we need to talk specifics.”

“What kind of specifics?” Steve grabbed a cucumber and began to rinse it off.

“For instance, where do you want me to put my food? I don’t need much space, maybe a shelf. And then I guess I need a place in the fridge, or I could just mark my stuff with a ‘D’ or something.” Forcing himself to stop watching the play of muscles in Steve’s arms as he moved, Danny tapped the larger of the two bags. “And I need a place for this baby.”

Steve paused, bending look inside. “You got a coffee maker.”

“Well, yeah,” Danny said. Steve had seen him this morning, knew how pathetic he was without his morning dose.

“You know, being dependent on caffeine isn’t a good idea. You could wean –”

“Stop right there,” Danny said, raising a hand. “I don’t do drugs or drink in excess. I dabbled with smoking cigarettes in college, and after figuring out how much money I was wasting, gave that up. I only curse sporadically, do my best to stay nicely groomed, and try to be an upstanding member of society as well as a good father. I think I’m entitled to one vice, and I pick coffee.”

Steve blinked. “You pick coffee.”

“Yes,” Danny said emphatically, pulling the bag a little closer to him. Of course he couldn’t tell Steve that after much trial and error, he’d learned that the kick of caffeine first thing in the morning helped soften the affects of his gift should he have need of it during the day. Before he’d figured it out, there’d been times when his mother had been thisclose to calling for an ambulance because of his thready pulse and erratic heartbeat.

“And that’s your only vice?”

For a moment, it felt like Steve was flirting with him. But then Danny’s mind flashed to the beautiful friend with benefits and figured it was some strange after-affect of providing a little assistance to a slightly underdeveloped fetus. “The only one I’m going to admit to,” he said lightly, pulling the machine out of the bag.

“It looks a little…used,” Steve said.

“That’s because it is,” Danny said, unwrapping the cord. “I got it at a thrift store.” Knowing his bad financial status was making him feel particularly defensive, he chose to walk around the small kitchen, looking for the perfect place. “How about here?” The cord was long enough to reach the outlet, and it didn’t seem to get in the way of anything else on the counter. He turned just in time to catch the tale-end of an expression he strongly suspected was pity before it was replaced by what looked like a blank mask. He wasn’t sure which one he disliked more, but he wasn’t about to start a conversation he didn’t really want to have in the first place.

“That’s where I usually keep the blender,” Steve said.

“Okay, how about this. All I need is maybe a shelf where I can keep this and some food, and I’ll give you a little each week to cover my part of things like dish soap.”

Steve sighed, rubbing a hand behind his neck, and Danny could feel it coming. He hadn’t even been there twenty-four hours, and he was going to get kicked out. And suddenly it all hit him right then and there: he was a thirty-four year old man unable to make enough money to find a place to live that was decent and safe enough for him to take his daughter. What kind of man did that make him? “I’m just gonna… uh, I’ll be right back.”

He didn’t realize he still had the coffee machine in his hands until he sat on the bed in his room and tried to control the tremors and rising panic.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Cucumber forgotten in his hand, Steve watched Danny run for the stairs and tried to figure out what’d just happened. Even though he wasn’t tan by any stretch of the imagination, Danny had walked into the kitchen looking paler than he had when he’d left that morning, and Steve didn’t miss the tremors he’d tried to hide.

His first thought had disappointment flooding through him, and he tried to subtly check Danny’s pupils for any kind of indication of substance withdrawal. There was no way he could have an addict spending time alone with Mary. He hadn’t gotten the feeling that Danny was like that, but he remembered seeing those tremors the first time they’d met, and he’d been known to be wrong a time or two. He also had faith in Chin’s research abilities, and he couldn’t imagine that Chin would’ve missed something like that. Upon further observation, Steve discounted the idea. Hearing about Danny’s day, Steve thought he might be able to chalk it up to disappointment and exhaustion, but it didn’t seem to even slow Danny’s mouth or arm movements.

Maybe Danny just needed something healthy to eat, Steve decided. He’d feed the man, watch him carefully, and try to pick up on any other cues.

But then Danny had started talking about shelves and spaces in the refrigerator, and Steve got confused. He’d opened his mouth a few times to try to ask about it, but then Danny quickly switched topics and pulled out the little drip percolator that looked like the one Steve’s parents had owned when he was a kid. It wasn’t until after he’d commented on it that a lot of things slid into place: Mary’s revelations about Danny’s financial woes, Danny’s defensive chin lift, the look in his eyes right before he ran upstairs…

“Shit,” he muttered. He was used to living with a bunch of SEALs, most of them single guys who just threw their stuff in a footlocker. Because of their work, they never really had a lot of time to spend their pay, so Steve never really had to worry about money and rarely thought about it. He wasn’t frivolous, so he still had a decent amount earning money in various accounts and in the stock market.

Part of him wanted to go upstairs and tell Danny that he was welcome to any food in the house, but he knew that it would probably cause more damage than good. He didn’t want to insult the other man, but he was finding that he had an indescribable need to make sure that Danny was okay.

It was all very confusing, especially for someone who liked things black and white. Give him a mission, and he could complete it. But he didn’t quite understand his feelings, wasn’t sure if he wanted to understand them. Unfortunately, Danny had been at the back of his mind all day.

Mary had emerged a little before noon, and he’d made her some oatmeal – evidently one of the only things she could keep down when she first woke up – before she’d gotten ready and left to hang out with one of the many friends Danny had seemed to help her find.

The Marquis hadn’t required all of his concentration either, and he’d found himself wiping the grease off his fingers and checking his phone periodically, hoping for a case.

He’d finally decided to cut up fixings for a large salad, figuring that he could put each vegetable in a separate container so Danny and Mary could fix their own anytime they came home.

And that’s when Danny arrived with his pathetic old coffeemaker and… Steve looked in the bag Danny had left on the table… of course, coffee, sugar, and creamer.

Steve wiped the dopey smile off his face and dove for his cell phone when it started ringing.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Danny was just hanging up with Grace when he heard Steve calling from downstairs. Deciding to bite the bullet and just get the first meeting after his pathetic exit over with, he headed down the stairs – without the added reminder of his coffeemaker. “What’s up?”

“We got a case, so I’m gonna head out. Mary’s out with friends, but I made stuff for a salad – ” Steve gestured to the kitchen with the hand holding his cell phone as he grabbed his keys.

Seeing the vegetables on the counter, Danny nodded. “I’ll put them away for you.”

Steve huffed and rolled his eyes. “Have some salad. It’ll go to waste otherwise. We’ll talk about the other stuff later, okay?”

Danny nodded, remembering the rush of adrenalin when catching a new case and suddenly feeling a little left out. “Be careful.”

Steve grinned at him, one that absolutely did nothing to speed up Danny’s heartbeat, and then he was gone.

Turned out, Danny hadn’t had to worry much about coordinating stuff after all. Steve’s case had turned out to be a doozy, as was the one after that and the one after that. For three weeks, the only clues Danny had that Steve had even come home were the squeaking of floorboards in the middle of the night or a green-coated glass soaking in the sink. It almost felt like he and Mary were cohabiting, something that still made Danny feel a little strange when he thought about it. He was unused to mixing his personal and professional lives this way, but Mary didn’t seem to have a problem with it. She asked him questions whenever they came to mind, went out with her friends, and hung out with him and Grace when she was home. She consistently thanked him for being there, pointing out how little they’d both seen Steve. She did tell him that Steve called her every day to check in on her, and Danny could tell how much that meant to her.

Grace had fallen in love with the house as soon as she stepped inside and seen the ocean through the glass doors leading out to the lanai. Rachel had been feeling benevolent – or Step Stan was having some serious entertaining obligations – so Danny had been getting Grace pretty much every weekend with a minimum amount of begging. His daughter loved the beach, playing in the sand, and occasionally convincing her father to go out into the water with her. Danny still wondered where she got such an affinity for the water considering both her parents could live happily ever after without dipping a toe in an ocean again. But Danny would do anything for his girl, so if she wanted to go swimming, he’d bite the bullet and take her swimming.

Plus, it assuaged his guilt at not being able to do much that cost money. He was doing his best to keep his expenditures down to a minimum to the point where he only ate twice a day when Grace wasn’t around. As much as he appreciated Steve and Mary’s generosity, he couldn’t help but feel like the relative who just couldn’t make it on his own. He’d agreed to stay to help out Mary – and he wasn’t planning on actually moving until after she’d had the baby and was comfortable taking care of the little girl – but he wanted to save as much as he could as fast as he could.

So the whole thing was actually working out okay. Danny finally began to relax and stop worrying about when the next shoe was going to drop.

And evidently that’s what the shoe had been waiting for the entire time.


	6. That Cool, Refreshing Drink

Danny was asleep in his room when he heard Mary call out. It took him a few seconds to figure out that there was a problem, because he didn’t have that feeling he got whenever there was something physically going on with one of the ladies or her baby. Comfortable in the knowledge that Mary and her baby weren’t in physical danger, he opened his door and almost ran into her as she stood in the hallway in her pink piggy pajamas with a serious case of bed head. “What’s going on?”

“Steve’s been shot!” She turned one direction, hands out as if to grab something, paused, then turned in the opposite direction. “I don’t know what to do!”

Running a hand through his hair, Danny gently took hold of Mary’s hand. “What do you know?”

“Chin called me.”

“Did he tell you Steve’s condition?”

Mary looked at him, but he could tell she wasn’t focused. “What does it matter? He’s been shot!”

Danny didn’t go into how a gaping chest wound was entirely different than an arm graze and instead grabbed Mary’s other arm and turned her to face him. “What hospital did they take him to?”

Groaning, Mary’s head dropped. “I can’t remember!”

“Where’s your phone?”

Mary gestured toward her bedroom, and Danny took that as approval for him to go inside.

Danny thought absently that her room looked like her suitcase had exploded as he found the cell phone in Mary’s bed and figured out how to get it to dial the last call.

“Kelly.”

“Chin, it’s Danny.”

“Hey, brah. You there with Mary?”

“Yeah. She couldn’t really remember anything you told her.”

Sighing, Chin said, “I didn’t want her to find out this way, but the press is all over it, and I figured it was better if she heard it from me, even if it is on the phone.”

“How bad is it?”

“He got shot in the leg, but it didn’t seem to nick any arteries. He’s in surgery now.”

They spoke a few minutes while Chin gave Danny more information. While he listened, Danny steered Mary toward a stack of clothes and turned his back while she put them on. By the time he’d hung up with Chin, Danny was pleased to find Mary much calmer. She was clothed, flip flops on her feet, and brushing her hair when Danny looked down and realized that he needed to get dressed himself. “Okay, we’ll be heading out in a few minutes. I’ll get Mary to grab him a change of clothes and his toothbrush.”

“Sounds good. We’ll see you in a few.”

Mary calmly walked into Steve’s room while Danny hung up and returned to his own to get dressed and snag his keys and wallet. He looked longingly at the coffee machine he took downstairs every morning and closed the bedroom door, already focused on Mary.

Danny hated waiting in hospitals. He hadn’t had much practice in it, especially in the years after receiving his gift. Normally, he was the one fixing things. He got to walk behind the screen and take part in the actual process of making things better. But now, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, holding one of Mary’s hands, he started to realize that he’d spent so much time thinking how inconvenient his gift was that he didn’t notice when it had become so natural to him. Part of him wanted to go to Steve, press a hand against his wound, and jump-start the healing process, but he knew that his gift didn’t extend past pregnant women and their gestating fetuses. This time, he wished his gift would not just stay but allow him to do more.

After a couple of hours, a harried looking doctor in scrubs came through the set of doors. “Family of Steve McGarrett?”

“That’s me,” Mary said shakily. “These are his work partners.” She gestured broadly, and Danny decided to stay silent for once.

“Would you like to go someplace private to talk?”

“No,” Mary said. “They’re ohana.”

Danny wasn’t sure what that meant, but he reminded himself that he was here for whatever Mary needed.

“Let’s sit.” The man fell onto one of the chairs with a sigh, turning to face Mary in hers. Danny, Kono, and Chin stood behind Mary.

Danny listened intently to what the doctor was saying and tried to interpret what wasn’t being said. He watched Mary nodding but could tell from the glazed look in her eyes that she wasn’t going to remember a single thing the doctor was telling her.

“When can we see him?” Mary asked.

“He’ll stay in recovery for about another…” The doctor looked at his watch, “thirty minutes, and then we’ll set him up in a room. Go get something to eat; when you get back, they should have a room number for you.”

Mary gave the doctor a watery smile. “Thanks so much.”

They barely noticed the man leaving as Chin clapped Danny on the back and Kono pulled Mary up for a hug. They made their way down to the cafeteria and ate while Kono and Chin took turns sharing embarrassing Steve work stories and Mary told embarrassing Steve childhood stories. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but Danny found that for quite possibly the first time since moving from Jersey, he actually felt a little like he belonged. He also wasn’t sure how he felt about that, so he just checked the time on his phone, clapped his hands together, and announced that it was time to visit Steve.

Danny held back as they got closer to Steve’s room, and he leaned against the far wall as the other three headed inside. After a few seconds, Chin poked his head out, giving Danny a questioning look. Danny shrugged; he really didn’t know how to put into words that he and Steve didn’t have the kind of relationship where he’d be welcome in that room. He wasn’t kin or a work buddy; he didn’t have any funny stories, and while he still didn’t know what ohana meant, he was pretty sure he didn’t really fit in that category either. So he tamped down his illogical feelings of wanting to shoot in there and sit right at Steve’s side until the man was released from the hospital and just threw a small smile Chin’s way.

Chin’s face smoothed, and he nodded before ducking back into the room, leaving Danny with the uncomfortable feeling that the detective had seen right through him.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Right about the time he was ready to check out AMA, Steve was released from the hospital. He’d had to endure the doctor’s instructions about his leg (keep the wound dry, blah, blah, blah), take the prescriptions he wasn’t planning on filling, and go through the physical therapy schedule before they let him go, but it was worth it when Danny pushed a wheelchair into the room.

While he would never admit to dodging Danny for the past three weeks, Steve hoped that maybe Danny would have had enough time to get comfortable in the house, maybe feel like he belonged there. And even though he hadn’t spent much time in the house himself while working on some complicated cases, he liked knowing that Danny was sleeping in a bedroom right down the hall in the few instances he was able to catch a few catnaps in his own bed. He told himself that it was enough, but he still found himself seeking out any and all proof of Danny’s existence, a stray sock on the floor in front of the laundry room, a plastic bucket with granules of sand on the lanai, the faint smell of caffeine in the air.

He was disappointed when he awakened in the hospital to find Danny missing. It definitely meant something to open his eyes and find his ohana standing by his bed, Kono, Chin, and Mary, her hand resting absently on her growing belly. But he found himself looking for another set of eyes, a pair of blue ones. It was stupid, really, because he and Danny had only had five or six conversations. It’s not like Danny would care about him as anything more than Mary’s support system. But still he looked.

And now, two days later, Danny appeared, pushing Steve’s wheelchair, smiling like it was nothing special. “Ready to blow this pop stand?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, one hand busy holding the bag with his personal effects, minus the badge and gun Chin had taken for safekeeping, the other clutching the needless handouts and prescriptions. He tossed those in the wheelchair so he could free his hands to use his crutches. Sliding off the bed, he started to step around the wheelchair, but Danny countered his move. Steve paused for a second, then tried going around the other side of the chair, and again Danny countered.

“I’ve seen how you go through picture windows, so I imagine you’ve been through this countless times. It’s actually your butt that goes in the seat, not your stuff.” Steve sighed, but Danny just raised his eyebrows. “I’m faster than you are right now, G.I. Joe. Don’t make me have to run you down.”

“First of all,” Steve grumbled as Danny freed the seat, “I’m in the Navy. GI Joe was Army.” He grabbed both crutches with one hand and worked on sitting without groaning. “Secondly, you don’t want to try to run me down.”

“I know, I know. You’ve been trained to take out your enemies with a stray eyelash and a piece of thread. But right now, you’re injured. It’s not a weakness.”

“I know that,” Steve said, sounding more defensive than he’d intended.

“Sure you do,” Danny muttered, the amusement in his voice calming Steve down a little. “Make yourself useful.” Danny plopped Steve’s bag and papers on his lap and headed toward the doorway. “Chin and Kono are sorry they couldn’t come. Evidently, the governor called them about a case late last night, and they’re still working on it.”

Steve frowned, but before he opened his mouth, Danny continued as he punched the button for the elevator, “Before you go all He-Man, Chin assured me that he and Kono would come by the house later to get you up-to-speed.”

“Actually, why don’t you just drop me off at the Palace,” Steve said as Danny rolled him into the elevator.

“Yeah, not gonna happen,” Danny said, murmuring a few hellos to the other people in the elevator and turning Steve so he faced the door.

“But –”

“Steven, I’m sure these nice people have enough on their minds and would rather not listen to us talk about how you’re heading straight home and putting up your leg just as the doctor told you to do.”

Steve didn’t say anything but glared at Danny’s smiling reflection. Maybe he wasn’t so happy to see the guy again after all.

They remained silent as they got off the elevator and Danny pushed Steve to Steve’s truck. Looking at the vehicle, Steve turned a glance to Danny, who looked a little embarrassed as he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I figured the Camaro would be a little low for you, so I swiped the keys.”

Touched at Danny’s thoughtfulness, Steve cracked a little smile. “I appreciate that.”

Danny rolled his eyes and took the crutches, holding one up so Steve could pull himself up and hop the few remaining inches to the truck and pull himself into the passenger seat.

As he waited for Danny to return the wheelchair, Steve noticed his phone sitting on the console. Noticing with a smile that it was fully charged, Steve hit his speed dial.

“Hey, how’re you feeling? You’re on speaker, and Kono’s in the car.”

“I’m okay. Danny told me you caught a case.”

“A real estate mogul’s daughter was kidnapped yesterday.”

Steve could hear the sound of the waves behind Chin’s words. “Where are you?”

“We’re following up on some leads.”

“No, where are you exactly?”

There was a pause. “I don’t think I’m going to tell you that.”

“What?”

“You’re supposed to be resting your leg. Danny bribed us with dinner so we’d come over and update you tonight. If I tell you where we are, you’ll find some way to get here, and then we won’t get dinner.”

Steve sniffed. “There’s nothing I can say that would convince Danny to drive me to you.”

“If you knew where we are, you’d still find some way to duck him at a streetlight or something and ninja your way over here.”

“Ninja my way? What is that?”

“Okay, so maybe I’ve been spending a little too much time with Danny lately,” Chin admitted.

Steve was confused. “When did you spend time with Danny?”

“We’re here.” Steve heard Kono’s shouted, “See you tonight!” before the call ended.

Danny climbed into the truck as Steve stared in disbelief at his phone.

“How’s the case going?” Danny asked, putting the keys in the ignition.

Steve had so many questions that he didn’t know where to start. Deciding to work it out later while reclining on the lanai with a beer, he pushed it all to the back of his mind and watched Danny with a smirk. “This is a lot of truck. You gonna be able to handle it?”

Danny glared at him. “Who do you think drove it here in the first place?”

“I’m just saying –” Steve stopped, knowing it was going to annoy the other man.

“You’re just saying what? What are you just saying, Steven?”

Steve raised his shoulders, hands out. “I’m just saying that you’re not the tallest of men, and this truck was built – ”

“I oughta open that door and kick your ass out, make you hobble home, see how talkative you are then.”

“That’s, well, that’s kinda mean, Danny.”

“Really? But calling me short, telling me that I can’t handle driving a truck – ”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t handle it; I was just asking a question.”

“I’ll ask you a question,” Danny muttered.

Steve grinned, resting his head against the headrest and closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he was sitting in front of his house.

“How’re you feeling?” Danny asked, looking at him worriedly.

“How come you never visited me?” Steve wanted to take them back as soon as the words left his mouth.

Danny looked away, staring at the front of the house. “We don’t know each other very well. You needed friends and family around you, not some stranger.”

A part of Steve’s head told him to just let it go, but something inside him just couldn’t do it. “You’re not a stranger.”

Danny squinted, liked he was trying to read something along the front door, and remained silent for a few seconds. “Let’s get you inside so we can put up that leg.”

Disappointed, Steve opened his door, unfastened his seat belt, and was already pulling out his crutches when Danny made it to his side of the truck. “I got it,” he said softly, not looking at the other man. He wasn’t angry at Danny, but for some reason, he found that he wasn’t really comfortable making eye contact.

Danny stood back silently, and Steve felt unaccountably guilty. Exhausted with all the introspection, Steve was relieved when the door opened and Mary came rushing out.

“You’re here!” She looked so happy, like she hadn’t just visited him the day before. “I was going to come with Danny to pick you up, but then I figured, what with your leg and me getting bigger that it might not be a good idea.” She walked with him to the house, matching his stride, talking the entire time.

Listening to her with half his attention, Steve braced himself for what he was going to find when he walked through the door. At the best of times, Mary was a slob. He’d already noticed some things starting to slide the few times he’d made it home during the past three weeks, but he just knew that three days without him at all probably meant that the place was going to need professional assistance. He grimaced at the idea of Chin and Kono coming over to see the mess, but he reminded himself that they knew Mary too. Carefully making his way into the house, he stood frozen at the doorway when he saw the immaculate living room.

“What’s wrong?” Mary asked, frowning as she looked around the room.

“It’s clean,” Steve marveled.

“Yeah,” Mary snorted, gently pressing at his back until he started moving again so she could close the door. “Danny read me the riot act yesterday, telling me that just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean that I can use that as an excuse. You should have heard him! He made me clean the entire house!”

Steve continued to the lanai, easing himself down on one of the chairs, his leg outstretched, and slid his crutches underneath. Sighing, he allowed himself to relax, only realizing how tense he’d become. “You cleaned the entire house?” Steve could barely picture her putting a used drinking glass in the sink.

“Well, he did the bathroom and kitchen,” Mary admitted, sitting in the other chair. “He said that he didn’t want me to inhale any of the cleaning chemicals.” She paused. “And he hauled around the vacuum for me too.”

Steve looked behind him in the house. “Where is he?”

“He’s going to fill your prescriptions,” Mary said. “That was the plan. He went to pick you up while I – oh, wait.” She hopped up and ran into the kitchen, returning with a pitcher.

“This is fresh lemonade. Don’t tell him I told you this, but I think Danny looked up a score of recipes on the internet the other day and made Grace taste test them with him. Mrs. Causeway next door got bags of lemon peels for her compost. Anyway, he was worried that you’d try to drink alcohol while taking your medication, so he thought he could distract you with the perfect glass of lemonade.” She poured him a glass and handed it to him. “I told him there was no way you were gonna let lemonade replace your beer, meds or no.”

Fully aware that she was right about his plan to make it in and out of the kitchen with a Longboard without getting caught, Steve smiled at Mary as he took the glass.

She sat back down and filled her own glass, setting the pitcher on the small table between their two chairs.

He held out his glass. “Here’s to poor, misguided Danny.”

“To poor, misguided Danny,” Mary echoed, clinking her glass with his and taking a sip. After a few seconds of silence, she said, “This is a damn good glass of lemonade.”

Steve nodded, edging the pitcher closer to his side of the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter quote comes from “Delirious”, one of Eddie Murphy’s recorded stand ups, where he sings a little ditty about lemonade.


	7. Family Dinner

Chapter 7

As he sat in front of the pharmacy booths, Danny’s fingers typed out the rhythm to the last song he’d heard in that monstrous phallic symbol of a truck. How a Navy SEAL could listen to the smooth stylings of the seventies without going crazy was beyond him.

Well, maybe that explained some things, he thought with a small smile.

Checking his watch again, Danny made sure to glare over the counter at the woman filling Steve’s prescriptions. She’d hassled him for at least ten minutes because he wasn’t the person listed on the scrips, even though he’d easily picked up meds for Grace a couple of times when she’d gotten sick, and he knew for a fact that he didn’t look like a Grace Williams. Maybe she didn’t like blonds. Or men. Or human beings. Regardless, this pharmacy was the closest he could find to the McGarrett house with his limited knowledge of the area, and he was damned if he were going to waste valuable time trying to find another pharmacy that didn’t hassle him as much. Instead, he’d loaded her up on information, providing Steve’s contact information, even the DMV documents from Steve’s glove compartment. They’d finally contacted the doctor, who’d verified that Danny was approved to pick up the meds. Evidently it didn’t matter that the pharmacist and the doctor were somehow related through a score of cousins; he gave up on trying to figure all of that out. As for the insurance information… Chin had pulled the cards out of Steve’s wallet himself, so there was no question that they contained all the information the tech needed to know. Finally Danny pulled out his phone, stating loudly that he’d just call the governor, who would doubtlessly be delighted to take the time out of all her meetings to confirm that everything was copacetic with her appointed task force. The tech blinked at the word ‘copacetic’ but evidently got the gist of the rest of it as she nervously glanced around at the other customers and finally – finally! – got to work.

Way later than he should have been, he headed to the next place on his list, thinking about the awkward conversation he’d had with Steve. The fact that he’d left Steve upset with him bothered Danny more that he cared to admit. At the time, he’d thought he was doing the right thing. Sure, he’d wanted to sit at the man’s bedside and just be there for anything Steve needed, but that wasn’t his place. His ex had told him repeatedly that he had a knack for forcing himself into situations, and he had enough pride not to want to see confirmation of that on Steve’s face. Maybe he’d made a mistake and veered too far off in the other direction. But Steve had had his ohana, a word that Danny now understood after Grace had explained it.

And if the true fact of the matter was that Danny visited Steve, just not when Steve was conscious, then that was something Danny was still going to keep to himself.

After he finished running his errands, Danny pulled the truck into the driveway, absently noting Chin and Kono’s vehicles. He grabbed the prescriptions and one of the grocery bags and headed inside.

Steve, Chin, and Kono were all hunched over papers and pictures scattered over the living room table while Mary stood in the kitchen, empty pitcher in hand.

“Good you’re here.” She shoved the pitcher at him. “We need more lemonade, and I can’t find your recipe.” She yawned. “I think I’m gonna go up and take a nap now that you’re back. And save me at least two glasses.”

He looked inside himself, felt tendrils reaching out to her to confirm that everything was okay, before nodding. “We’ll wake you in time for dinner.”

She smiled at him as she left.

After washing and drying his hands, Danny pulled out the prescription bottles, lining them up on the counter. He grabbed the ones he needed and a bottle of water from the fridge before heading into the living room. Absently, he listened to the conversation as he made a space next to Steve and dumped the bottles on the table. Opening the water bottle, he handed it to Steve, who took it absently as he examined a photograph.

“… and if you look here,” Kono was saying, pointing at the corner of the picture as she leaned over Steve, “you can see his bodyguard looking at something off camera. Unfortunately, none of the security cameras picked up whatever caught his attention.”

Danny opened the first bottle, shook out two pills, and handed them to Steve, who threw them back before taking a gulp of water.

Chin slid a tablet across the table to rest in front of Steve before pressing something to activate a video. “The bodyguard shoves Natasha Harding out of the way before taking two shots to the chest.”

Steve popped another pill in his mouth and swallowed some water. “So the bodyguard obviously considered whatever he saw as a threat.”

Despite himself, Danny was intrigued. “Can you run that back?”

Chin slid his finger across the screen, poked at something, and the video started again. After watching it, Danny thought a moment.

“What’s on your mind?” Steve asked.

“Okay. The bodyguard looked away, but he didn’t really seem concerned. It’s was almost like – ”

“ – he knew whoever it was that caught his attention, ” Steve finished thoughtfully.

“And at the time, he wasn’t threatened. He didn’t reach for his gun until a few seconds later,” Chin mused.

“And he gets shot so quickly that I’d guess he reached for his weapon when he saw the one that shot him,” Danny added.

“Natasha Harding kind of glanced over there but didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.” Kono slid back into her seat. “So we’re looking for someone familiar to the bodyguard but someone that he didn’t think of as a threat to Natasha and someone that she didn’t recognize.”

“Did the bodyguard make it?” Danny asked.

“It’s touch and go,” Chin said. “HPD has some officers outside of his room just in case the person wants to finish the job.”

“If it’s someone he knows, it could be someone that HPD might think was safe,” Danny suggested.

“On it,” Chin said, pulling out his phone.

Kono’s head was already bent over the tablet, her fingers nimbly dancing over the screen.

Steve turned and smiled at Danny, who only just realized how close he was standing. Using the pill bottles on the table as an excuse, Danny gathered them and gestured toward Steve. “Why don’t you finish the water?”

Steve frowned, only just then seeming to realize that he’d taken some pills. “What did you give me?”

“Antibiotics and a pain reliever.”

“I’m not in pain,” Steve said, annoyance flickering over his face.

“You’re also not seated with your leg elevated, and I’m willing to bet that you haven’t been at least since the wonder twins got here.”

Steve tried not to look guilty, which didn’t work and wasn’t adorable at all. “You have a choice. Sofa, bed, or deck chair.”

“Sofa, I guess,” Steve mumbled.

Danny helped him up, ignoring the small hiss and let Steve lean on him as they headed slowly into the living room. Danny didn’t even bother asking where Steve had left his crutches.

“So what’s for dinner?” Kono asked, bouncing into the room. “The table’s all clear.”

“Bow tie pasta with chicken, red peppers and artichokes. I cooked the pasta earlier today, so it shouldn’t take long.”

“I’ll come along and help,” Kono decided, following Danny into the kitchen after a shared glance with Chin.

“Thanks for the assist – again,” she said, leaning against the counter as Danny took out the ingredients he needed along with a bowl of grapes.

“My pleasure,” Danny said, and it was. He’d loved being a cop. Not even Rachel knew how hard it had been for him to voluntarily stop doing what he loved. He hadn’t really had a choice – he’d tried to do both, but there had been too many times when he could have compromised himself and his partner because he hadn’t been physically able to perform all of his duties as a police officer. 

Kono gave him a considering look as she popped a grape in her mouth. “Ever thought about doing it again?”

“I already have a job,” Danny reminded her, pouring his measured olive oil in a skillet.

“And it’s an important one,” Kono said quickly, as if she were worried he’d take offense.

Danny had to smile. “But…”

“But it doesn’t seem to pay very well.”

Danny’s smile dropped. “It can, for some people.”

Kono remained silent.

Danny gave her an I-know-exactly-what-you’re-doing look, but she only grinned back at him, throwing another grape into her mouth.

Damn it, he thought, feeling himself give in to her and that stupid dimple of hers. “I’d planned on taking some business and legal courses to get more familiar with that part of the job, but then my ex moved Grace out to this pineapple infested paradise.” He waved with a wooden spoon before using it to slide sliced chicken into the hot oil.

“I guess you couldn’t do both,” she suggested.

Danny huffed. “Have you ever tried to rush a birth?” He shook his head. “It’s ugly, and the baby always refuses to cooperate.”

Kono chuckled, reaching for another grape.

“Stop that,” Danny said, smacking her hand. “Make yourself useful; go set the table.”

Grabbing the plates and utensils piled on the kitchen table, Kono snuck another grape before jetting out of the kitchen.

About twenty minutes later, after Kono had filled all of the glasses with lemonade, Chin hovered behind Steve as he hobbled back into the living room. Danny ignored Steve’s soft smile at the small footstool seated toward his chair and sent Kono upstairs to wake up Mary.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Chin joined Steve in the living room shortly after Danny and Kono left for the kitchen. “HPD will have someone in the hospital room at all times, and the doctor’s going to let me know the soonest we’ll be able to question him. She said if he makes it through the evening, we might be able to speak with him for a few moments early tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s a long time from now,” Steve said, absently rubbing at his leg.

“I have a call into the security guard’s boss, requesting an employee roster. Kono and I’ll go visit him tomorrow. We’re going to go meet his wife at the airport when she arrives.” At Steve’s questioning glance, Chin elaborated. “She went to visit her mother in Maine and was already on her way back when this happened. We didn’t want to leave that kind of message on her cell phone.”

“Good thinking,” Steve said, stifling a yawn. “So what do you think about Danny?”

“I think he’s even better than he looks on paper,” Chin said. “He’d be a real asset to Five-0.”

“Yeah, but he seems pretty committed to this doula thing.”

“Evidently, he’s really good at it.”

Steve didn’t buy it – not that Danny wasn’t good at whatever he put his mind to doing but that he’d chosen being a doula over being a detective. “He misses it. Did you see his face earlier?”

“Yeah, but I also saw him right after helping that hostage give birth,” Chin said. “I don’t know that he gets the same satisfaction, but he definitely looked like a happy man when we headed to his car.”

Steve sighed. “Meka called this afternoon. His sister’s involved in some complicated stuff in Anchorage, and it looks like he’s going to be gone for at least another few weeks.” Meka’d had to leave a couple of weeks earlier after getting a panicked phone call from his mother about his sister, who lived in Alaska. They’d encouraged him to go and take care of family, but his absence was felt.

“Leaving us down a person for the foreseeable future,” Chin said, arching a look at Steve.

“We’ll see,” Steve said, already running through some thoughts.

Danny shouted for them to get to the table, “and Chin, find the crazy man’s crutches so he doesn’t injure himself any further!”

Smiling, Chin grabbed the crutches from the lanai and made a presentation out of handing them to Steve, who scowled but used them all the same.

Mary was still feeling pretty tired, so she grabbed a large glass of lemonade and a banana before returning to her bedroom, promising to eat a snack later on in the evening.

Midway through dinner, Danny got a call. With an apologetic, “sorry”, he headed into the kitchen, returning about fifteen minutes later swinging his keys on a finger. “I have to go see a client. Sorry about this.”

“I think we’ve all had to run out on dinners before,” Chin said with a smile. “I just hope she’s okay.”

“She’s fine,” Danny said, and Steve could’ve sworn the man just stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “It’s her first child, so she panics over everything.”

“How do you know she’s okay then?” Kono asked.

After the barest of hesitations, Danny said, “Professional instincts, professional instincts.” He pointed to Steve. “You need to take another round of antibiotics right after you eat.” He focused on Chin and then Kono. “I’m counting on you two to make sure he doesn’t ‘forget’.” Danny used air quotes around the word.

“I’m a grown man, Danny,” Steve said, sounding more affronted than he actually felt. He took a second to feel the warmth of Danny’s concern.

Ignoring Steve, Danny continued to glare at the cousins until they both gave him a smile and a nod. “Good,” he muttered, lifting his hand in a wave on his way to the front door.

The door closed, and a few seconds later, Kono said, “I like him. It was kind of cool the way we tossed ideas around earlier.” She sighed. “It’s too bad he’s so committed to being a doula, because I don’t think he’s ever going to be able to make a decent living doing it here.”

Chin nodded. “The islands are just too family oriented. Ohana helps us with whatever we need.” He took another bite. “He’s a pretty good cook; maybe he can run some sort of side business.”

“What he needs to do is be a cop. Everything about the man screams it,” Steve said.

“Yeah, but he’s not about to give up being a doula, and as he reminded me in the kitchen, he can’t schedule a birth or pick up and leave at a phone call if he’s a cop.”

“What about making him a consultant?” Chin asked.

Steve smiled, taking a sip of his lemonade.

“You’ve already thought about it,” Chin accused, pointing his fork at the other man.

“I ran it by the governor earlier today. We don’t have the budget to put on another full time team leader, and I’m not going to fire Meka for taking care of family. So we put Danny on as a part time consultant. He’ll still have the freedom to help out his pregnant women, but we’d pay him for helping us out like he did today.”

“That’s a great idea,” Kono said. “He’s already ohana, so it’ll be nice to have him closer.”

We’ve gotten to know him a little better since you’ve been in the hospital,” Chin explained.

Steve tried not to think about the awkward conversation he’d initiated with Danny in the truck. “He made sure Mary didn’t wreck the house.”

“He did more than that. He coordinated with everyone to make sure someone was with you during visiting hours. He drove Mary there every day and waited for her in the hallway.”

“And he sat in with you sometimes when you slept,” Kono added.

Steve was stunned. “He did?”

Kono looked confused. “He didn’t tell you?”

“Are you sure?”

“One time I was leaving and didn’t realize that I’d forgotten the book I’d been reading to you. I came back to your room and saw Danny sitting there. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I just left without saying anything.”

Unsure what to make of that, Steve shoved it to the back of his mind for further thought. Avoiding Chin’s eyes, he asked, “Are there any more grapes?”

“Nope,” Kono said around a few she’d just tossed into her mouth.

Rolling his eyes, Steve poured himself another lemonade.

“This is really good,” Chin said, holding up his own glass.

“I know. I’m starting to worry that he’s drugged it with something,” Steve said, taking a large gulp.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Someone had left a lamp on in the living room, one of the many little thoughtful gestures Danny found he missed now that he lived alone. Well, he amended with a small smile as he reached over to turn out the light, not anymore.

A movement on the sofa caught his eye, and he turned to see Steve, asleep, stretched out, crutches on the floor alongside.

Unable to help himself, Danny stepped closer to the SEAL, fascinated at how peaceful he looked when he slept, his long lashes against the sensitive skin under his eyes. Steve snuffled a little, turning his head, and Danny froze for a moment, not realizing he’d held his breath until his lungs started to protest. He let the air out slowly, silently telling himself that he was being creepy while taking yet another step closer. The arm against the back of the sofa was up and bent, Steve’s hand resting behind his head. The other hand rested on top of Steve’s perfect, flat stomach, and Danny had to actually make himself stop from reaching out to touch the man himself.

Gathering his thoughts, Danny briefly toyed with the idea of waking Steve and helping him into his bed, something he’d pictured way too many times alone in his own bed, but he decided that it would probably be easier on Steve’s leg if Steve remained downstairs for the night. He was dressed in dark sweats and a t-shirt, so he wouldn’t cut off blood flow as he slept, so Danny just grabbed a blanket from the closet and shook it out, letting it drift over Steve’s body. After a small pause, he gave in to temptation and leaned a little closer to Steve’s face, so close that he felt a small puff of air as Steve exhaled.

And suddenly brown eyes opened, clear and assessing, no sign of drowsiness.

“I was just… um,” Danny said, holding up the edge of the blanket he was still holding.

Steve continued to look at him silently, and Danny became a little more nervous. Dropping the blanket, he stood and stepped back. “I’ll just, um, goodnight.”

As he turned out the light and headed for the stairs, Danny wasn’t sure if he heard a quiet “good night” from the dark room or if it had just been wishful thinking.

The next day, Danny’s first appointment was at ten, so he found himself in the kitchen at eight, tie hanging loose around his neck, waiting for his coffee to brew.

“You don’t have to keep that in your room, you know.” Steve sat at the table, empty glass with green residue on the table.

Danny braced his hands against the counter as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. “A little warning next time would be really helpful!” Turning his head, he glared at the man. “I haven’t even had my first cup yet.” He eyeballed the man. “How long’ve you been up?”

“Since about five,” Steve said evenly. “I usually get up around that time to go for a swim or a run,” he reminded Danny.

Or both more than likely, Danny thought to himself. Instead he asked, “So what’ve you been doing other than drinking your grass and reading?” He noticed Steve’s look of surprise. “Yes, I saw the book you must’ve thrown over there on the floor. I used to be a detective, remember? We have observational skills that don’t just go away.” He poured the coffee into his travel mug.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Even though he didn’t say anything, Steve noticed Danny’s inadvertent use of the word, “we” when discussing his former profession. That was the final clue Steve needed to confirm that he’d set the right gears in motion. “What’re your plans for the day?”

Danny sat down at the table, sighing and taking a large sip of coffee. “One of my clients has a sonogram scheduled at ten.”

Steve thought back to his meeting with Danny when they’d reviewed the contract. “That’s part of the service, right?”

“Usually, I’m like the second string. If the father can’t make it, I’m a good substitute.”

“And after that?”

“After that, coffee with a midwife I work with a lot. She has a few people who want to meet me, and it helps to know a little about them before we meet.”

“Isn’t that like cheating?” Steve had to work hard not to smile at Danny’s glare.

“Before you interview a witness, don’t you gather as much intel as you can?”

“Sure, but that can be for our physical safety. Are you worried that some pregnant woman’s going to shoot you or something?”

Danny’s eyes rolled so far back, Steve wondered if they were going to get stuck. “Being a doula is more than just lining up pregnant women and helping them shoot children out of their bodies. There has to be a good fit.”

“A good fit,” Steve said slowly.

Danny took a give-me-strength breath before taking another fortifying gulp of coffee. “The mother needs to be able to trust me, and I need to know that she’s going to listen to me.”

“Like a good little soldier,” Steve nodded.

“She doesn’t always have to agree with me or necessarily do as I suggest. But I do need for her to hear what I say, understand how each decision she makes impact the baby. I also like to meet the other members of the family who will be having an impact on her and the baby during and directly after the pregnancy. If the father isn’t going to trust me, there’s no point in even continuing the interview. If the soon-to-be grandmother decides she doesn’t like having a man involved in the birthing process, again, there’s no point. But if I walk in there with some idea of what – and who – I’m facing, I’ll know much faster if I can help.

“Because my job is to make the mother’s life easier, to help her however I can to deliver her baby with as little stress as possible, as safely as I can. There’s no point in wasting any of our times if it’s all pointless.”

Danny stood and poured himself another cup of coffee before returning to his seat.

Steve liked the passion Danny felt for his job and began to understand what Chin and Kono had been trying to tell him. Danny might miss being a detective, but being a doula was also an important part of him. Steve wanted to ask him so many questions, starting with how he’d decided to become what looked like the first male doula in his family and ending somewhere around if he’d planned on possibly kissing Steve night before. But most of his questions weren’t any of his business, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for the answer to his last one, so he remained silent.

Evidently, the caffeine kicked in, because suddenly Danny stared at him suspiciously. “What’s with all the interest?”

Steve shrugged. “Can’t a guy be interested in what his roommate does for a living?”

Danny stared at Steve a second, and Steve could almost see his mind trying to put together the pieces. “You’re bored.”

“What? No! I’m just curious.”

“Your body woke you up at the butt crack of dawn like it does everyday, but because of your leg, you can’t do any of your Army Ranger exercises.”

“SEAL, Danny,” Steve sighed, sitting back. “I was a Navy SEAL.”

Danny shrugged. “The point is, you got so frustrated with a book that you threw it across the room.” He stood and picked up the book, looking at the cover. “I read this. It’s not a life changer, but it wasn’t that bad.” He set it on the table, pulled out his cell phone, and raised his eyebrows. “I have to go.”

“Will you be home for dinner?” Steve hated how domesticated he sounded, so he added hastily, “Kono and Chin will be over again, and so far, Mary doesn’t have other plans.”

“What’s for dinner?” Danny asked, fiddling with his tie.

“Pizza probably, since it’s difficult for me to work the grill right now.”

“So healthy,” Danny teased, tightening his tie.

“It’s not so bad loaded with vegetables or pineapple –”

“I’ll come under one condition. No pineapple on the pizza.”

“But it’s goo –”

“It’s an abomination is what it is,” Danny said, heading out of the room. He pointed at Steve and repeated, “abomination,” before disappearing.

It took Steve a few seconds before he realized that he was looking at the book with a stupid smile on his face. A few seconds after that, he also noticed that Danny had left the coffee maker on the counter.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Steve looked at the five different pizzas on the table, scratched his nose as he contemplated the different cans of soda, and shifted the green beans and salad.

He’d spent the afternoon with Mary after she’d finally decided to wake up and come downstairs. They’d played old board games she’d found, the same ones they’d played as kids on rainy days. They’d laughed and, for the first time in a long time, reminisced about the happier days in their past.

Danny had called later that afternoon, apology in his voice, saying that due to a fortunate circumstance, he was going to have his daughter for the evening. He’d started rambling about taking Grace somewhere else to eat, and Steve had cut him off.

“Danny, this is your home now too. Grace is welcome anytime. We have plenty of food.”

And then Steve began to panic, because he knew nothing about what little girls liked. Did she eat pepperoni, or did she only like cheese? So he ordered a variety of pies. And he didn’t know what she drank – was she allowed soda? He figured it wasn’t very healthy, but he wasn’t her father, so he didn’t feel that he had the right to decide. So he also ordered a variety of drinks. And as he looked over the spread, he found that he wasn’t certain that he had enough to really make a balanced meal, so he cooked some string beans and made a quick salad. And then he cut up some fruit and made a fruit salad as well.

All that done, he had time to sit there and worry. He didn’t have anything in common with little girls and didn’t even know how to talk to one. What if she didn’t like him? He really wanted her to like him.

“Wow. How many people did you invite?” Mary asked, walking up to him.

“You, me, Chin, Kono, Danny, and his daughter.”

“You think that’s enough food?”

Steve frowned. “Should I have ordered more pizza?” He reached for his phone.

“I was kidding,” Mary said, putting her hand on his arm.

“I wanted to make sure I have something Grace likes.”

“That’s sweet, but if she’s anything like me, she’ll be up for everything on here.” She eyed the salad and green beans. “Well, almost everything.”

“If she’s like you, she’ll eat at least three of the pizzas by herself,” Steve said dryly, limping over to a chair.

Mary frowned. “Aren’t you still supposed to be using your crutches?”

“It takes longer to get around that way. My leg’s fine.”

“Have you been taking your meds?”

“Aren’t you getting maternal,” Steve muttered.

Patting her belly, Mary smiled. “Just getting into practice. Now, answer the question, please?”

Rolling his eyes, Steve said, “Yes, mom. I’ve been taking most of my meds.”

“Most?”

“The pain meds knock me out, and I don’t really need them. If I need it, I’ll take some ibuprofen.” 

Mary sat down beside her brother. “I’m not trying to be bossy; it’s just that you scared me the other day. I’d heard you’d been shot, and all I kept thinking was that this baby would never get to know his or her uncle.”

Steve took Mary’s hand. They still weren’t that physical with each other, but they seemed to be getting better at taking each other’s hands, sharing a quick hug here and there. They were making progress, he thought. “I’m here. I’ll be okay.”

“I was a mess,” Mary continued, eyes filling. “I couldn’t understand a single thing Chin was trying to tell me… if it hadn’t been for Danny…”

“What about Danny?”

“He took the phone, got the information from Chin, kept telling me that you’d been shot in the leg but that you’d be okay. He really held it together for me – and for Chin and Kono. They had to wrap up the case, and Danny promised that you wouldn’t be alone. I sat with you for a while, but he convinced me to come home and rest. He was with you whenever the three of us weren’t.” She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and hiccupped a little. “I’m sorry. I promised myself that I wasn’t going to get all weepy.”

“You managed a whole afternoon,” Steve said, teasing her.

“I wanted you to think that I’d been all cool and collected like Danny, but I think he held it together because someone had to, and it wasn’t gonna be me. But he was worried about you too.” She batted her eyes at him. “I think he likes you.”

Steve snorted. He was about to tell her that a man with an ex-wife and daughter didn’t really scream, “I’m interested in men!”, but the door opened, and he could hear Danny’s voice.

“…and what have I told you about Tommy?”

“Take what he says with a grain of salt,” a little voice said.

“Remember what that means?”

“That Tommy’s a big, fat liar?”

“Close enough,” Danny said as they walked into view. “Steve, I want you to meet my daughter, Grace. Monkey, this is Steve, Mary’s brother.”

Suddenly very nervous, Steve stood, balancing on his good leg. Before he could let out a lame, “hello,” she was in front of him with her hand out. He took it automatically.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. McGarrett,” she said.

“Call me Steve,” he said, appreciating her approach.

She looked him in the eyes for a second before noticing the food. “Look at all the pizzas, Danno!”

Steve smiled and turned toward Danny, who held up a hand. “First, no, Steve, you cannot call me that. Second, I thought you said you don’t have a lot of parties.”

“I don’t,” Steve said. “I just wanted to make sure that everyone got something they wanted.”

“Translated, it means that he was nervous about meeting Grace and wanted to make sure he ordered something she liked,” Mary said, throwing a face at his glare.

Danny looked touched for a moment before grinning. “Monkey eats just about anything.”

“Is there one with pineapple?” She asked, investigating the pies.

Steve arched a brow at Danny, who sighed, “Why must you bring up that abomination? As a child of New Jersey, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

Grace giggled and climbed on a chair.

“Monkey,” Danny said, holding up a backpack.

“Right.” Sliding off the chair and grabbing her backpack, she shouted on her way to the stairs, “Don’t start without me!”

“Remember to wash your hands while you’re up there,” Danny shouted back. He looked at Steve. “Why is it that every time I see you, you’re not elevating that leg? Sit your ass down, McGarrett.”

“You really do care, Danno,” Steve sang as he gingerly sat back down.

Grumbling about how he should just let Steve get gangrene and have his leg amputated, Danny grabbed the footstool and made a production of placing it in front of Steve.

Sighing, Steve made just as big a production laying his leg on it, but he had to admit that it did ease the pressure.

“So really, who else is coming?”

“Chin and Kono,” Mary said, grinning.

Danny considered Steve, who was trying not to flinch under the scrutiny. “Did you really buy all of these for Grace?”

“And the rest of us,” Steve said, trying to deflect. He gave a silent sigh of relief when he heard a knock before Chin called out to them.

A few seconds later, Chin and Kono, bankers boxes in hand, walked into the dining room.

“Why don’t you leave the boxes in the living room so they won’t get messed up,” Steve suggested. “We’ll eat first.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of food,” Kono said, impressed. “Is Kamekona coming over?”

Steve’s glare at his sister silenced Mary’s giggles, although she continued to smile.

“Evidently, Steve was worried that a nine year old girl wouldn’t have the right pizza, so he had go and order everything.”

“Except for the pineapple,” Steve said, “because someone refused to come if I did.”

Chin looked shocked. “But that’s the best!”

“I know,” Kono added, grabbing a plate. “Throw on some Canadian bacon, add some extra cheese… perfect!”

“Perfectly ridiculous,” Danny muttered, taking a breath to go into what Steve just knew was going to be a soliloquy about some sort of pizza topping laws when Grace reappeared.

“Kono and Chin!”

“Hey, Grace,” Kono said, pulling out a chair for the girl but looking at Danny with a smile. “You convince your dad to let me give you surfing lessons yet?”

“Kono, you know I respect your skills, both as a police officer and a surfer, however I feel the need to remind you of those four words.”

Everyone laughed, and Steve felt left out. He didn’t like it.

“Over. My. Dead. Body,” Danny explained, as if reading Steve’s mind.

“No pineapple, no surfing… you do realize that you’re living in Hawaii, right?”

“I can’t forget it, what with all the sand. I won’t even go to the beach for weeks at a time, yet I find sand everywhere. Everywhere!” Danny put two slices of pizza on a plate and set it in front of Grace as he complained. He got Grace her drink and picked up a second plate, staring at Steve.

“What?” Steve asked.

Danny heaved one of his long suffering sighs. “Which one of these two hundred pizzas do you want?”

Steve tried to stop a goofy smile from sliding across his face, but apparently he was unsuccessful, since Danny grew a little red and muttered, “What? You can’t exactly grab your own if you want to keep that leg elevated.”

Still smiling, Steve guided Danny to the pizzas containing the most vegetables.

Frowning, Danny stared at the plate as he placed it in front of Steve. “These are just salads using a thin crust for mobility, isn’t it?”

“You know, you complain more than anyone else I’ve ever met,” Steve mused, not at all perturbed by the fact. In fact, on Danny, it was kind of fun.

“I’m not complaining as much as relaying pertinent information,” Danny countered.

“So you’re saying that your tracking sand everywhere isn’t complaining?”

Danny spread out his arms, empty plate in one hand. “Babe, I’m just stating a fact. You’re all just so used to it that you don’t even notice. I bet you’ve ingested so much sand that you’re now made up of at least one sixteenth percent of it.”

Chin, Kono, and Mary, already munching on their own slices, grinned.

Steve pointed toward a corner pizza. “That one just has pepperoni on it.”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Danny smiled. “Thank you very much, Steven.” He put two slices on his plate and sat next to Grace. “So, how was everyone’s day?”

As if by mutual consent, everyone looked at Grace, who said, “Tommy told everyone at school that he saw a mermaid.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Tommy seems to come up with new whoppers each and every day. How did you do on your math test?”

Grace tilted her head. “I finished answering all the questions this time, but I don’t know if I got them right.”

“Did you do your best?”

Grace nodded.

“Then you did great.” Danny looked around the table. “We worked on it for a few hours the other night, and she has it down.” He poked at Grace, making her giggle. “You just need confidence.” He looked at Mary. “What about you?”

“I woke up, ate breakfast, played games with Steve out on the lanai, took a nap, had tea with Tonya Graceling –” she looked at Steve. “She and I were best friends in preschool.”

Steve chewed, thinking a moment. “Big eyes, big glasses?”

Mary nodded. “Danny suggested I join this online community for Hawaiian mothers, and she tracked me down.”

“I thought her family moved away,” Steve said. “That’s why you weren’t best friends in elementary school.”

“They did, but they came back a few years later, and she’s lived here ever since.”

“How many kids does she have?” Danny grabbed one of the more popular pizzas and passed it around.

“She has twins who are about eighteen months old.” Mary smiled as she took a piece and handed it to Steve. “I’m so glad I’m only having one kid. They’re cute, but two at once?”

“We have a couple of cousins with twins,” Kono said. “The good thing is that they can keep each other company.”

“True,” Chin said. “But I remember how one would wake up from the nap, crying, and wake the other one.”

Kono laughed. “That’s when you hand them back to their mom.” She looked at Mary. “Oops.”

“Exactly!” Mary laughed. “The few times I’ve dealt with kids, I’ve always kind of gone, oh, you’ve loaded your diaper? Let’s find your momma.” She mimed holding up the baby and smelling its diaper.

“Grandma told me that Danno wouldn’t let anyone hold me until she and mom made him.”

“That’s because a lot of people have no business holding a baby,” Danny said. “These people were all, ‘let me hold your baby!’.” He held out his hands like he was preparing to catch a baseball. “And then you get the other kinds, the ones who are all,” he wiped his nose on his sleeve, hacked a cough, and held out his arms. After he waited for the laughter to die down, Danny looked at Steve. “What about you, Super SEAL. How was your day?”

Steve didn’t want to think about how long the day had felt. “I, uh, talked with Mary, ordered the pizzas….”

“Yeah, I can see the crazy hovering behind your eyes,” Danny said.

“I don’t even – ” Steve sputtered, torn between anger and amusement.

“I’m not talking about your daily Army crazy that you exude,” Danny continued blithely.

Steve rolled his eyes. “First of all –”

“– I’m talking about the I-can’t-swim-forty-miles-and-then-run-for-another-twenty-before-dawn crazy that’ll turn into something really ugly if we aren’t careful. But don’t worry. I got you.”

Steve looked at Chin and Kono, who both shrugged. He looked at Mary, who was laughing so hard her eyes were closed as she wiped at her tears. He looked at Grace, who nodded sagely like she knew exactly what Danny was talking about. Steve discounted the youngest at the table. All she knew was Danny’s brand of crazy; she’d never had a chance.

Before he could decide where to start – he was in the Navy, he didn’t swim or run that much in one morning, he didn’t have crazy in his eyes, and if he did it was put there by a pint-sized mouthy transplant from New Jersey – he heard a phone buzz.

“Sorry, it’s me,” Danny said, pulling out his phone and walking away from the table. “How much chocolate did you end up eating?”

“It’s one of Danno’s clients,” Grace said, taking a bite out of her pizza.

“They call him a lot,” Chin said.

“They call him all the time,” Grace said evenly. “They need him, because he’s the best doula ever.”

“Better than your aunt?”

“Uh huh,” Grace nodded. “The best in the family. I heard grandma tell granddad once, but she whispered it.”

“I bet Danny loved hearing that,” Kono said, laughing.

“I never told him. Danno says that privacy should always be respected.” She shrugged a shoulder, focusing on sliding her cheese into the middle of her slice.

The adults shared an impressed look, and Danny bustled back into the room. “Sorry, but we have to go.”

“But Danno, she’s only calling because she ate too much and now has a tummy ache.”

“True,” Danny conceded, “but she still needs me.”

Grace looked mournfully at her pizza and slid off the chair.

Before he even realized his mouth was moving, Steve heard himself say, “Why don’t you leave Grace here?”

“Yeah,” Kono chimed in, “we’ll watch a movie or something.”

Danny looked torn. “I can’t ask you –”

“You’re not asking us, brah, we’re asking you,” Chin said, his reasonable tone never failing to make the person feel like they were doing him a favor. “We’ve gotten to know Grace a little bit over the last few days, and we kind of miss her.”

Grace beamed.

Rolling his eyes, Danny said, “if you’re sure…”

“She was gonna spend the night here anyway,” Steve said reasonably.

“And I can start to work on my story reading skills,” Mary said, grinning at the little girl.

Danny took a look at his phone, thought a second, and sighed. “Okay. But bedtime’s at 8:30. You still have school tomorrow. Remember to clean behind your ears when you shower. Listen to the grownups. Well,” he amended, eyeballing the group, “listen to Chin. The others, I’m not so sure about.”

“Hey!”

Ignoring the three protests, Danny knelt in front of his daughter. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, hopefully before you get to sleep.”

Grace threw her arms around Danny neck. “I love you.”

Danny closed his eyes, hugging her back like she was the only person in his universe. “Danno loves you more.”

He stood, still hesitating.

Steve was beginning to get insulted. “Danny –”

Danny sighed. “Okay. No swimming, no surfing, and behave.”

“I promise,” Grace said solemnly.

“I meant him,” Danny said, nodding toward Steve.

“Gee, thanks,” Steve muttered, Grace’s giggles making him smile.

It wasn’t much later, while he sat at the kitchen table supervising Chin putting the leftovers away and the girls sat in the living room watching a TV show about some pre-teen with special powers or who could sing – Steve really didn’t care enough to figure it out – that he realized that Danny had only eaten one slice of pizza.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Steve sat on the bed, above the covers, as he read his second book of the evening to Grace, who was leaning over him, staring at the pictures with rapt attention. He heard the front door open and the sound of the security code on the alarm system and tried to ignore the way his heart sped up in anticipation. He kept reading, making sure his voice was even, while he listened to the creak of the stairs and pictured Danny hopping up them two at a time to make sure he got home in time to kiss his daughter goodnight.

He finished the book and looked up at the doorway to see Danny standing there, small smile on his face. Nudging Grace, he tilted his head toward the door.

“Danno!” Grace scrambled over Steve, who bent the knee of his good leg to protect certain private parts, to get to her father.

Danny crouched, arms wide, and gathered his daughter to him, eyes closing briefly.

Steve felt his smile dip a little when he realized he couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt free to hug his dad. Grace gave out love with the certainty of a child who’d never been denied affection; it was beautiful to watch.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to spend much time with you tonight,” Danny said, kissing her on the top of her head before walking her back to the bed.

“I had a good time with Steve, Kono, Chin, and Mary,” Grace said, yawning as she crawled back over Steve, this time slow enough that he wasn’t worried about his own safety.

“You’ve had your story; now you need to get some sleep, or you won’t be any good in school tomorrow.”

“’kay,” Grace said, burrowing underneath the covers.

Danny reached over Steve to pull the blanket over Grace, and Steve found himself inhaling – just a little bit – at the smell that was just Danny. He found it strangely comforting and a little arousing.

Way too soon, Danny was pushing back to standing, staring fondly at his daughter. His gaze turned to Steve, who found that the fond smile was kind of nice when it was turned on him. Eventually he asked, “What?”

Rolling his eyes, Danny asked, “You planning on sleeping in there with her? C’mon.” He grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled him out of the room.

“I wasn’t… I was just waiting for you to give me some room,” Steve complained.

“Whatever,” Danny said, but he was still smiling. Steve found that he was really enjoying Danny’s smiles. Then suddenly, Danny’s smile dropped as he looked around. “Where’re your crutches?”

“It takes way too long to get up the stairs,” Steve complained. “I was careful,” he said.

Danny snorted, wrapping Steve’s arm around his shoulders. “Since you’re up here, you might as well get in bed.”

“Actually, I have something I wanted to talk to you about,” Steve said, pulling Danny toward the stairs. “It’s nothing bad,” he added when he saw the worried look in Danny’s eyes.

“Yeah, okay,” Danny said, but he didn’t sound convinced as they slowly made their way down the stairs. He didn’t seem to notice that Steve took a little longer than necessary, but it was nice having Danny pressed into his side.

Steve steered them into the living room, where he’d placed the folder Chin had brought him, and once they sat, he stared at Danny a minute. “You want something to eat? You didn’t really get a chance before you left.”

Danny shook his head as he sat in a chair beside Steve. “I’d rather just get this over with.”

Instead of trying to convince Danny that he didn’t have bad news, Steve just pulled out the form he needed and slid it in front of the other man.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a consultant agreement,” Steve said. Danny looked confused. “You’ve helped us twice now with our cases. The other day, just kicking around ideas, felt really good. We’re down a man while Meka’s out with family issues, so having you around during the interim is the perfect answer.”

“I’m a doula. I’m not a cop.”

“Once a cop, always a cop,” Steve said dismissively. “One thing I’ve learned is that it’s not something you just turn on and off. It’s who you are.”

“I don’t have the time – ”

“That’s why I’m not trying to hire you on as a regular member of Five-0,” Steve said, neglecting to add that he hoped that it would all work out so well that even after Meka’s return, Danny could eventually become one. The first step was to get Danny used to them. He could put on the full court press to alter Danny’s employment status later. “Being a consultant means that you’d still be free to do your doula thing, but you’d get paid to kick around ideas with us. Of course, you won’t have a badge or a gun or have the authority to arrest people, and we’ll reassess once Meka returns.

Danny flipped to the second page, his eyes widening.

Steve was prepared. “That’s not an exorbitant amount of money considering the expertise you’re bringing to the table.”

Danny turned his eyes to Steve. “I haven’t been a cop in years.”

Steve put his hand over Danny’s. “You helped make an arrest the day you came in to show me the doula contract.” He grinned at Danny’s chuckle. “Face it, buddy, you still got it.”

“I don’t know,” Danny said, scratching his cheek with his free hand.

“You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it,” Steve said. “I saw your face.” Danny’s eyes had been sharp, his gaze attentive.

“That’s,” Danny heaved a sigh, “that’s a lot of money.”

“You’ll earn it,” Steve promised.

Danny took another breath. “Okay. Where do I sign?”

Steve felt his shoulders relax and realized he’d been worried that Danny would say no. Suddenly he also realized that he’d had his hand on Danny’s for quite some time. Casually, he took it away to grab a pen. “You don’t have to sign it tonight if you want a lawyer to look over it.”

Danny snorted. “I’m living with you and still paying off my divorce attorney. Where’re am I gonna get the money for yet another money-hungry –”

“I got it.”

“ – soul-sucking – ”

“Okay.”

“ – vomit-inducing –”

“All ri- wait. Vomit inducing?”

“Okay,” Danny conceded. “I never actually vomited, but there was nausea involved.”

“So, no to the attorney, then.”

Danny grinned. “Wise ass. Hand me the damn pen.” A few seconds later, Five-0 had their very own consultant.

“Welcome aboard,” Steve said, smiling as he held out his hand.

“Thank you very much,” Danny said in a terrible drawl.

“What was that? Did you just have a stroke?”

“That was my Elvis impersonation!”

Steve looked dubious. “Really? Because it kind of sucked. Actually,” he decided, “it really sucked.”

“You, my friend, have absolutely no taste. I saw that before, but now it’s been confirmed.”

Despite all of their words, they continued to sit there, grinning at each other like idiots, holding hands over the agreement. Steve liked to look at the little lines that at the corners of Danny’s eyes as he smiled, the way his blue eyes danced as he gave as good as he got.

Eventually, things started to feel a little weird, but Steve didn’t want to let go. He thought he could see the same in Danny’s eyes, but he wasn’t sure.

Danny ended up letting go first. “I’d better go to bed. I have to get Grace to school and have a couple of appointments.” He stood but continued to look at Steve. “What’re your plans for tomorrow?”

Steve sighed and spread out his arms. “Stay here. Stay bored.” He’d read the newspaper, tried to concentrate on a couple of novels he’d been wanting to read, even tried working on the Marquis, but nothing could hold his interest when his muscles were screaming for some exercise. Steve McGarrett didn’t do lazy very well at all.

“Well, make sure you’re presentable at about nine,” Danny said, tapping the table before turning.

“Wait – why?”

“Shhh,” Danny whispering as he climbed the stairs, “you’ll wake the ladies.”

Steve had to assume he meant Grace, because Mary could sleep through the house collapsing around her.

With a grin, Danny disappeared, leaving Steve wondering what the other man had planned the next day.

He suddenly found the day not looking quite so boring.


	8. A Sprinkling of Love, Caring, Jersey, and Badassness Everywhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve stolen the chapter title from an awesome comment made by Markinmi1, who has a true gift for a turn of phrase. It was so good that I had to use it. I hope you don’t mind.

Danny’s day had already been busy, filled with appointments with various doctors to update the resource list he gave to his new clients, a Lamaze-class stand-in for a recently deployed father, a group exercise class Mary had organized with mothers and mothers-to-be, and a babysitting stint for a mom who wanted to surprise her husband with a lunch quickie eight weeks after delivery. He didn’t regret getting up early to get Grace up and to school, because anytime with Grace was worth it.

Despite his coy talk with Steve the night before, he’d meant to prepare Steve the next morning for what he’d planned, but Grace had been difficult to wake up, and one bathroom presented challenges when needing to be shared between two grown men, a child, and a pregnant woman. Grace realized that she’d forgotten to bring a book she needed, necessitating a stop by Rachel’s house before he dropped her off at her school. Mary had eaten the cereal Danny had bought for Grace’s visits, and Steve’s food looked too similar to stuff found on the ground in the woods for both Grace and Danny’s comfort level. Remembering the money he was now going to get as a consultant, Danny decided to splurge and take Grace through a drive thru on the way. So he’d never gotten a chance to talk to Steve, but he figured that the man had been a SEAL; he could handle a surprise or two. Hopefully Danny wouldn’t come home to a crime scene.

What Danny hadn’t expected – although with foresight he probably should have – was that he was going to be inadvertently outed by a friend. It wasn’t so much that he kept his sexual preferences hidden; he just chose to put the information in the need to know category. If and when he felt someone needed to know, he told them.

Danny pulled up into the driveway later that afternoon, pausing when he saw a familiar car parked on the curb. He ran into the owner as he opened the door and stepped inside the house.

“Hey, Philippe,” Danny said, hand held out. “I didn’t expect you to still be here.”

Philippe Rossegneau was one of the very first people Danny had met in Hawaii. A little punch drunk from the flight, Danny had literally run into the man when Philippe had stopped at the cab stand at the airport and Danny hadn’t. After accepting Danny’s apology, Philippe had started up a conversation and ended up inviting Danny to a welcome to Hawaii dinner.

Their affair hadn’t lasted long. They found themselves getting together for lunch or coffee here and there, their romantic interest dissolving in the face of other concerns – their work, Grace – to become a friendship.

It was a shame they hadn’t worked out, Danny thought with a small sigh as he gripped the man’s hand. Philippe was a wonderful guy. Dark curly hair just long enough to look dashingly disheveled, bright blue eyes, a beautiful smile, he was good looking enough. As a physical therapist, he considered his body an instrument and took good care of it. He’d been an attentive and exciting lover, but they just hadn’t clicked emotionally. Danny couldn’t do casual, so he’d had to let Philippe go.

“You look familiar,” Philippe teased as the handshake ended. “Do I know you?”

“Very funny,” Danny laughed. “I’m sorry we never actually spoke, but thanks for doing this.” After a day of exchanging voicemails, Danny’d gotten desperate enough to start texting, something he only used as a last resort. He’d known Steve was going crazy not being able to exert himself, and he figured Philippe could come up with an upper body workout that would, if not help him release some of that energy, at least help the day pass. “How’d it go?”

A look of regret passed Philippe’s face. “I’m afraid I outed you to Steve. I had no idea you hadn’t told him about us until it was too late.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. I meant to talk to you about that, but, well – ”

“ – we never talked,” Philippe finished, grinning. The grin faded as he chanced a look behind him before leaning forward and saying quietly, “he didn’t treat me any different after he knew.”

Danny got the unspoken message. He’d find out soon enough if Steve had a problem with a guy who dated guys living under his roof and taking care of his sister. But that wasn’t Philippe’s concern, so Danny clapped the man on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”

Contrary to his words, Danny admitted to himself that he did feel a little uncertain about Steve’s point of view about bisexuality. Coming from the military like he did, he might start to feel uncomfortable around Danny, so much so that Danny might have to leave the house. And despite the fact that it was only meant to be temporary, Danny found that he was much more domestic than he’d thought. He enjoyed knowing that he could sit around a table and eat with others or just hang out in the living room and watch television with someone else. Growing up in a large family had made him take it for granted, and it had been one of the more difficult things to deal with when he’d moved so far away.

So Danny hadn’t really said anything. He hadn’t hidden it, but he definitely hadn’t brought it up either. It really didn’t matter, he told himself, because he wasn’t in any position to date anyone – a poor, basically homeless doula with a bum ACL, an ex-wife, and a daughter (although she was the best daughter ever). And besides a few ties and suits, the only thing he owned was his car. He was a grown-assed man who had a room in the house of one of his clients, for pete’s sake. If that didn’t scream, “I’m a catch!”, nothing would, he thought sarcastically.

And despite certain looks Danny felt like he was receiving, he continued to remind himself that Steve hadn’t shown any real interest. Sure, they touched more than most, but Danny had been raised in a family of huggers; he couldn’t stop from touching a back in support or gripping an arm for emphasis. It was obvious that Steve and Mary didn’t come from that kind of family, but Mary seemed to almost gravitate towards him sometimes, obviously searching for that brief contact. Danny was used to it; women, especially pregnant women, seemed to need that comfort, and it was something that Danny considered part of his job. The fact that it came so easily to him was a bonus. Not that he’d thought too much about it, but Danny figured that Steve probably didn’t get enough physical support from the side of the family he’d ended up living with either, and heavens knew that the military wasn’t really big on bear hugs, so he was probably as touch-starved as his sister.

“Danny?”

Steve’s voice carried through the first floor, and Danny shouted back, “Yeah, it’s me. I’ll be there in a second.” He opened the door for Philippe. “Thanks again.”

“It was a fun challenge,” Philippe said with a grin. “Besides, I owed you.”

Danny watched him walk to the car, still able to appreciate the man’s grace if only from an aesthetic point of view nowadays. Acknowledging to himself the delaying tactic that it was, he sighed and closed the door.

He found Steve reclined in a chair in the lanai, sweat sticking his hair to his forehead.

“It looks like Philippe gave you a good workout,” Danny said, dropping into the other chair. “How’d it go?”

“It was great,” Steve said, wiping his face with a towel. “I really needed that, and he’s really good at his job.”

“I’m glad.” They stared at the sun as it seemed to rest on top of the ocean, a cool breeze rifling through their hair. “I meant to tell you about it this morning, but things got crazy with Grace.”

“Well, things did get off to a rocky start when I pointed a gun at him,” Steve conceded.

“You did what?” Danny shot up in his chair and turned toward the other man.

“I didn’t shoot him or anything,” Steve said.

“You say that like shoving a gun in a guy’s face is okay!”

“Sometimes it is.”

“Not when he’s coming to help your gimpy ass get rid of some energy!”

“But I didn’t know that, because someone had failed to warn me he was coming!”

Danny paused. “Okay. I’ll give you that one.”

“Thank you,” Steve said, sounding much aggrieved.

“But he could’ve been, oh, I don’t know, the mail carrier, the UPS guy, one of those flower delivery people.”

Steve gave him a look. “Flowers?”

“What? You’re hurt. Hurt people sometimes get flowers. Of course, I can’t imagine that the boys down in the pen passed a hat so they could get you a get well soon bouquet, but maybe the Governor or someone might have wanted to send you some. Maybe you should just wait and see who it is before shooting a visitor is all I’m saying.”

“I didn’t shoot him,” Steve said. “Did he look injured in any way when you just saw him?”

“I didn’t say you shot him, Steven,” Danny said, using both his soothing monotone and Steve’s full first name, both of which he knew Steve hated, “I’m saying that you could have.”

“I’m a trained professional,” Steve said. “I don’t go around accidentally shooting people.”

“You two sound like you’ve been married for years,” Mary complained, stepping outside.

Danny immediately rose, helping Mary into his vacated seat. He automatically sent out his feelers, making sure mom and baby were both doing okay, before he actually asked how she was doing.

“I’m good. Tired but good.” She grinned at him as he leaned against the back of her chair. “That class was excellent.” She turned to Steve. “A bunch of the ladies and I got Danny to give us a yoga class.”

Steve grinned, turning toward Danny. “Danno, I had no idea you did yoga.”

“First,” Danny said, holding up one finger, “do not call me Danno. Only Grace calls me that. Second,” up with the second finger, “I don’t really ‘do’ yoga.”

“He gets someone who’s done it before to stand in front of the class, and he talks us through it as he walks around and adjusts our stances if we’re doing it wrong. It was better than the tapes,” she said. “And the best part was at the end, he had us lying in corpse pose, our eyes closed, and he went around and massaged this oil stuff in our foreheads, down the sides of our faces, and around the back of our necks.”

Danny found himself fighting back a blush for some reason. “It’s no big deal,” he said, unaccountably pleased.

“It’s totally the best part,” Mary asserted. “Ask any of the others. We all think so. You should do a regular class.”

“I can’t commit to a schedule,” Danny reminded her.

“Right. Babies being born whenever they choose,” Mary said. “So who was the cutie I saw here before I left this morning?”

“That’s was Philippe,” Steve said. “He’s a friend of Danny’s.”

“He’s a physical therapist I called to help Steve work out some of that aggression without doing further injury to his leg. Of course,” Danny couldn’t help adding, “I didn’t know I should’ve prepared him to have a gun shoved in his face when he first got here.”

“That’s what you get for springing him as a surprise!”

“I get it – no surprise birthday party for you, or you’ll probably throw a hand grenade at the piñata!”

“You’d get me a piñata for my birthday? Since when did you think I was a twelve year old girl?”

“I’d planned on filling it with all sorts of fruit in deference to your allergy to all things unhealthy, but just for that, no piñata for you, buddy.”

Mary huffed out a laugh, reminding Danny that there was another person in the room. “So Philippe – is he single?”

Danny inwardly groaned at Mary’s inadvertent bringing up the one conversation he didn’t particularly want to have with Steve, but he just said, “I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter, because you’re not his type.”

Mary rubbed her belly. “Not interested in an instant family?”

“Not interested in women,” Danny corrected.

“Another one bites the dust, then.” She huffed a breath and looked at Steve, then Danny. “So what’s for dinner?”

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Steve watched Danny escape into the kitchen, knowing that he was trying to avoid a conversation that Steve didn’t want to have either. He’d had the day to think about it and still wasn’t sure what he wanted to say.

Throughout the years, he’d met a few boys – and then a couple of men – that he’d found himself attracted to, but when he thought about it honestly, tried to picture anything more than a random romp, he just didn’t feel it. He hadn’t even been able to enter that gay club the night he’d run into Mary. Besides, he liked the softness of a woman, the curves against his straight lines. When Catherine wasn’t available, and he felt the need to take the edge off, he thought of filling his hands with soft creamy flesh, gripping the curve of a well-rounded hip, sinking into welcoming softness.

But lately he found his thoughts turning to Danny, remembering the way the man’s shirt strained across his chest, the well-rounded curve of his ass in his incredibly tight slacks, the smile on his face when he was truly amused. Steve thought of Danny’s hands, the golden hair on his forearms, even the way he looked in those stupid ties he wore everyday.

Used to knowing his world and being comfortable with his place in it, he was having a difficult time fitting Danny inside it. Knowing that part of him didn’t feel comfortable with the thoughts and feelings Danny brought out of him, he still signed the doula contract and moved him into his house – and even made the man a Five-0 consultant. It felt like part of him kept warning him away while the other part continued drawing Danny in closer, making him part of Steve’s ohana.

It was confusing and complicated, and Steve wasn’t comfortable with either. Mary was confusing and complicated, but she was his sister, and frankly, one of them was more than enough.

So the question was, did he want to have a conversation with Danny about what Philippe had told him? It didn’t change the fact that Steve liked having Danny around, appreciated that the man cared enough to call in a favor so that Steve could let off some of the energy that had been building since he’d gotten shot.

After he’d explained his texts with Danny, shown his ID, and convinced Steve that he was relatively harmless, Philippe had rolled in a hard suitcase filled with various weights and exercise bands. He’d explained that since he didn’t have specifics about Steve’s injury – only that he needed to be careful with his leg, he’d brought enough to give Steve a vigorous upper body workout.

And Philippe had delivered, explaining how the various exercises focused on certain muscles as Steve pounded through the reps. Steve already knew most of what he heard, but he did learn a few things and appreciated Philippe’s focus and knowledge. At the beginning, the physical therapist asked a myriad of questions, obviously getting a feel for how Steve liked to work, how much he liked to push himself, whether Steve would try to push too hard. After the first twenty minutes or so, they fell into a rhythm that seemed to work for them, and Steve found himself really enjoying the jump in his heart rate, the sweat covering his skin, the push for just one more.

Once he’d discovered that Philippe was free until early evening, Steve convinced the man to stay for lunch. It hadn’t been difficult; Danny didn’t trust Steve not to walk around the kitchen instead of resting his leg and had thrown some food in a slow cooker that morning, the delicious smells winding their way around the house a little after noon.

Mary, who’d left before Philippe’s arrival, ran in to get something she’d forgotten but stayed long enough to inhale a bowl of the stew before heading out again. She’d shaken Philippe’s hand, given him an assessing look that Steve now knew involved his potential as a future partner, and deptared, only to call twenty minutes later when she realized she’d left the item she needed on the kitchen table. She blamed it on the pregnancy, but she seemed to blame everything on that, leaving Steve to wonder idly how much she conveniently blamed on her condition.

It was when they were seated around the kitchen table, Philippe thoughtfully spooning the stew in both bowls, that Steve got to know the man – and Danny – a little better.

“I really appreciate this,” Steve said, putting aside his towel and picking up his spoon.

“It’s my pleasure. I’ve owed Danny a favor for quite a long time now, so it’s nice to be able to help him out for a change.” He noticed Steve’s look and explained, “I had a patient with some muscular issues who became pregnant and was worried about the stress on the baby. I’d taken on her case pro bono, but she didn’t have insurance and couldn’t work, so she was in pretty dire straights. I asked Danny to look in on her as a favor, and he ended up staying with her through the whole pregnancy. In fact, he was with her when she gave birth, and he still checks up on her. Never asked her for a dime.”

Despite appreciating Danny’s generous nature, Steve could see why the man was having a difficult time making ends meet.

“How did you two meet?” Philippe asked. “I mean, I know Danny used to be a cop, but that was quite a while ago.”

Steve chuckled as he recounted the case that ended with Steve crashing through the window and Danny delivering a baby.

“Wow. That definitely beats any story that we have,” Philippe said, impressed, “and we were together for a couple of months.”

“I didn’t realize Danny’d lived with anyone else since he moved here,” Steve said, feeling a little unsettled. He didn’t know Danny very well, but for some reason, he wasn’t comfortable with the thought that Danny had been that close to someone else on the islands.

“We never got that far,” Philippe said, busy using his spoon to pick out a chunk of potato. “I mean, we were exclusive that entire time, because you know Danny. He doesn’t do casual.” Philippe looked up, smile falling when he saw the expression on Steve’s face. “You didn’t know we dated.”

Steve laughed, a hollow sound even to him. “It’s no big deal.”

Philippe closed his eyes, sighing.

“Seriously,” Steve said seriously. 

“Danny mentioned something about you two living here together, and I just assumed…”

“No, it’s not like that,” Steve said. “We’re just friends.” He could’ve mentioned that Danny was in his life because of Mary, but for some reason, he deliberately left that out. Philippe still looked stricken, so Steve added. “It doesn’t change anything.” He deliberately changed the conversation. “I’m going to be out of commission at least until my next appointment with the doctor next week. Do you have any available time I could book?”

Philippe smiled, obviously relieved, and they discussed his availability.

By the time they’d both finished seconds, they had agreed on daily appointments, a payment schedule, and a general workout plan.

Philippe looked at his watch. “I have time for another couple of exercises before I go if you’re game.”

Steve smiled.

A loud noise in the kitchen returned him to the present. “Everything okay in there?”

Mary waddled out, slowly dropping into the chair again. She glared at her brother.

“Danny kick you out of the kitchen?” Her frown grew, making Steve laugh. “What’d you do?”

“I was helping –”

“You were making a mess!” Danny corrected loudly.

Rolling her eyes, Mary leaned a little closer to Steve. “He has freaky hearing.”

Steve snorted, whispering back, “you act like that’s his only strange habit.”

“I heard that!” Danny shouted. “My hearing is not strange; it’s dad hearing.”

“What’s dad hearing?”

“It’s hearing that men get when they become dads so they can tell when their children – or other people – are up to no good.” Danny walked in with a plate in each hand. “Are we eating out here or inside?”

“Let’s go inside,” Steve said, making a mental note to buy two more chairs for the lanai so Danny and Grace could be comfortable too.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

The days passed fairly quickly, and they all got into a new rhythm.

Philippe arrived around seven to work with Steve, and Danny made sure to get ready early enough to stand there and mock them for a few minutes around a cup of coffee before leaving around eight for his various appointments.

Mary, who’d been feeling out of sorts recently, had gotten a small, part-time job with Mamo, Steve’s old surfboarding instructor, who still owned a surf shop. She seemed happier with something to do, and she’d either meet with friends in the afternoon or return home for a nap and lunch with Steve and Philippe.

The three usually met for dinner, with Kono and Chin arriving a little afterward to go over case files with Steve and Danny.

Friday, things changed. Steve still rose at four and found that although he still had to favor his sore leg when he stretched, he could tell that he hadn’t lost as much ground as he’d worried. He grinned, happy that Philippe wasn’t around to see Steve concede that the physical therapist might have been right when he said that by working his good leg, his injured one would maintain more of its fitness than if Steve just focused on his upper body.

He wasn’t prepared for his good thigh to cramp, and he dropped to the floor with a grunt, barely feeling the sting from his wound as he grabbed his thigh.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, trying to catch his breath, until he heard footsteps on the stairs.

“Steve, I swear if you’re down here moving furniture or something – shit!” Danny’s worried face appeared above him. “What can I do?”

“Cramp,” Steve gasped, “good thigh.”

Danny’s frown eased, although the concern was still in his eyes. “Hold on a sec.” He disappeared but reappeared almost immediately, grabbing Steve under the armpits from behind and pulling him to rest against the sofa. Shoving a sports drink in Steve’s hand, Danny dropped to the floor, his hands immediately reaching for Steve’s thigh.

Steve’s hand automatically reached to stop Danny, who sighed. “Drink that and let me do this. My ladies cramp up all the time. Let the professional work.” Danny’s smirk, more than his words, convinced Steve to lean back and take a sip as he watched Danny’s hands on his skin.

When he’d dressed that morning, he hadn’t planned on anyone but Philippe’s impersonal hands on him, so he’d worn his normal running shorts. But now, watching Danny’s fingers stretch out his leg, press on the top of his feet to point Steve’s toes, rubbing his fingers from top to bottom over the muscle, Steve suddenly felt exposed.

Deliberately changing his focus, he looked at Danny’s face, only just realizing that Danny must’ve just gotten up. His hair stood all over his head, making him look so much younger. And kind of adorable. It took him a little while to realize that, of course, Danny was talking and probably had been for quite a while.

“…before the chickens, twisting your body like a pretzel when you just got shot earlier this week. I figured having Philippe here to work your Army ass would’ve calmed you down, but no, you have to re-injure yourself the very day you’re supposed to go see the doctor. I swear, if I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were trying to get out of work for another week.”

“Danny.”

“But that’s not you. You can’t wait to go back out there and fly through picture windows.”

“It’s just a cramp.”

“I’m actually impressed that you didn’t somehow manage to foil a smuggling plot out there on your beach.”

“Danny.”

“Or maybe watch the man next door with binoculars as he kills his wife.”

Steve frowned. “Isn’t that from a movie?”

“But of course if you saw that, you’d find a way to rappel from your roof to his and then drop in through his second story window in time to knock him unconscious and save the wife.”

“Danno!”

Danny stopped at glared at Steve. “What?”

“It’s just a cramp.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “So you didn’t hurt your leg at all when you managed to untwist yourself?”

“I didn’t do any damage.”

“We’ll let the doctor decide that in,” Danny patted his sides, tried to angle his head to look at the kitchen clock, before putting his warm hands back on Steve’s thigh. “However many hours we have until your doctor appointment.” He paused for a second. “Did you just call me Danno? Again?”

Distracted by Danny’s still hands on his thigh, Steve said, “It was the only thing that seemed to get your attention.”

Danny continued massaging Steve’s thigh. “I was trying to make a point.”

“What was that? That you still can’t remember that I was in the Navy?”

Danny opened his mouth, then closed it. “You know what? Never mind.” He looked heavenward. “I don’t know why I try.”

Laughing, Steve asked, “Are you channeling my great grandmother?”

Danny lifted his hands. “I really, really don’t even know why I try.”

Suddenly desperate to feel Danny’s arms back on him, Steve leaned forward, grabbing Danny’s arm. “Wait! My cramp still hurts.” He leaned back, pulling Danny off balance.

“Oomph!” Danny fell, twisting at the last moment to avoid Steve’s wounded leg and ending up on Steve’s cramped leg. “Maybe you aren’t trying to re-injure yourself, you’re trying to injure me.” He pulled up on his arms, bracing a hand on Steve’s chest as he gained his balance. He paused, staring at Steve.

Steve felt like he’d stopped breathing the moment Danny had fallen into his lap, the man’s warmth soaking through his body. He felt the rumble from Danny’s chest as the man spoke. He knew Danny’s hand couldn’t miss the fast pounding of his heart, and as he looked into Danny’s eyes, he found that he just didn’t care.

They remained there, Danny’s hand against Steve’s chest, Steve staring into Danny’s eyes. Someone started moving, maybe it was both of them, and Steve’s eyes were just starting to close when his phone rumbled on the floor beside him, jerking them back into the world.

Danny blinked, moving backwards, and Steve absently noticed the quick lift and fall from the man’s chest as he answered the phone without looking at it.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Danny’s mind was scrambling to catch up while he watched Steve answer the phone.

What just happened? He could’ve sworn he and Steve were having a moment, but that would mean…

He snuck a glance at Steve as he sat back, wondering what was happening. Maybe Danny should’ve pressed the issue, talked to Steve instead of worrying that it would adversely affect their friendship. Maybe there was something more there. Danny found himself wanting to find out.

He was jolted out of his thoughts as Steve ended the call. “Everything okay? It’s a little early for a phone call.”

Steve focused on picking at the label on his bottle. “It was Catherine. She’s in town for the weekend.”


	9. Getting By With a Little Help From My Friends

Danny sat on his bed, rubbing a hand over his face, wondering what the hell he was doing. A few minutes earlier, he’d almost fucked things up royally by kissing Steve. His landlord. His boss. The man who was even now getting ready to spend the weekend with his friend-with-benefits.

What the hell had he been thinking?

He needed to shut this shit down fast. Even if, by some miracle, Steve had felt something as Danny knelt there, his hand over the expanse of Steve’s chest, he obviously wasn’t ready to address it. And that was as good as being straight as far as Danny was concerned.

He needed a plan. He’d been drifting along, enjoying the feeling of being part of a family when this wasn’t his family. He was a roommate, Mary’s doula, Steve’s consultant, and he had to remember that.

He needed to take Steve to the doctor, but after that, he had nothing planned for the day. It hadn’t come as a surprise; in Hawaii, it seemed, the weekends began on Friday mornings, and only type-A personalities like Steve made appointments if they could get away with moving them to another day.

Grabbing a towel, he headed for a shower, determined to be anywhere but at the house when Catherine arrived.

A little over twelve hours later, Danny smothered a yawn as he leaned against the computer table in the Five-0 offices, reviewing witness statements with Chin.

Kono walked out of her office. “I’m heading out.”

Eyeballing her dress, which seemed to contain less material than the cloths in his mother’s rag bag, Danny asked, “Going home to watch movies and eat popcorn?”

Kono laughed, waving her fingers as she walked to the elevator.

Danny looked at Chin. “Remind me to never send Grace to her for fashion advice.”

Chin laughed, pushing away from the table. “I’d better get going too. Dinner with my mom.”

“Have a good weekend,” Danny said, returning to the crime scene photos, wondering what his own mother was doing at that moment.

Chin didn’t leave. “Do you have Grace this weekend?”

“Next weekend,” Danny said. “This weekend I’m on my own.” He tried to make it sound a lot less pathetic than it actually was. He stared unseeingly at the photos, hoping Chin would just leave already, but the other man was way too observant. After a few seconds, he dug up a smile and looked up. “You’d better go before you end up in the dog house. Man, it’s nowhere you want to be. I’ll lock up.”

Chin finally nodded, heading into his office for a few seconds, turning out the light on the way out. “Have a good weekend.”

“You too,” Danny said brightly as he shifted some images on the table. He waited a few seconds after the elevator doors closed before allowing his shoulders to slump.

This weekend was going to suck rocks.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Steve was a nervous mess. Usually a weekend with Catherine left him loose and relaxed, but he hadn’t seen Danny since his doctor’s appointment at eleven, and it was like a chunk of his life had been snatched away.

On the way to the doctor, Danny had talked and gestured, complained and whined as usual, but there had been a lack of enthusiasm, as if he’d just been going through the ropes. Steve had felt a certain disconnect between them, but he’d passed it off as fatigue. After all, Danny wasn’t used to waking up at five in the morning, and Steve had heard enough movement in Danny’s room to know that the man hadn’t gone back to sleep.

Steve had been given the okay to return to work on Monday – although he still had to ride a desk for one more week until his hopefully final doctor’s appointment.

Danny had clapped him on the back, dropped him off at the house, and driven away.

At first, he’d been worried when Danny hadn’t come home for dinner. He’d been uneasy, wondering about the dynamic change with Catherine there, but he’d shoved it down. After all, both Danny and Mary had met Catherine before, and it wasn’t as if Steve had ever misled them.

At least that’s what he told himself as he kissed Catherine hello.

Mary had asked about Danny during dinner, and Steve had shrugged, muttering something about Danny being a grown man capable of making his own plans when all he’d wanted to do was grab his phone and ask Danny to come home.

By Saturday afternoon, he was having a difficult time lying to himself. Maybe it was because he couldn’t do anything to get his mind off of things. His two favorite exercises of choice, running and swimming, were still out of the question, and evidently Philippe had some sort of life of his own, because he wasn’t available over the weekend. Catherine had offered to work out with him, but Danny’s hands massaging his thigh flashed through his mind, and he declined. She’d offered a workout of another kind, but he’d given her some sort of excuse. Mary’d had his back on that one, asking Catherine to go out baby shopping with her.

Of course, Mary had then held out her hand for Steve’s credit card, but he supposed he owed her.

That meant that he was alone in the house with his thoughts, which didn’t help much either. Since he was able to drive himself again, he took off to one of Kono’s favorite beaches and sat on the sand, watching the surfers, pledging to be out there again soon.

Eventually, Kono walked out of the water, hitching her surfboard in the sand as she wiped her wet hair out of her eyes. “Hey, bossman. Howzit?”

Steve smiled up at her. “I needed to get out of the house.”

“I’m surprised it took you this long,” she said, plopping beside him. “Heard you’re back in the office on Monday?” She smiled at Steve’s nod. “Good. It’s so quiet when it’s just me and Chin. Of course, having Danny there on Friday livened the place up.”

Focused on the ocean, Steve almost missed Kono’s last words. “Danny was at the office on Friday?”

“Sure,” she said. “He’s stopped by a couple of times, but Friday was the first time he’d spent pretty much all afternoon there. I guess he dropped you off at the house after your doctor’s appointment and came right to us.”

Steve tried to go for casual. “How long was he there?”

Kono shrugged. “He was still there when I left around sixish. I’m not sure how long he stayed.”

That at least explained Danny’s absence Friday night. Unsure how to ask if she knew Danny’s whereabouts without revealing that he didn’t himself know, Steve remained silent.

One of the things he liked about both Kono and Chin was their ability to just be, to enjoy the silence and the stillness, and he was really appreciating that at the moment. He needed some of that around him to try to get a handle on the tumultuous feelings and thoughts swirling inside him.

It was kind of funny how one of the traits he liked best about his teammates was one that Danny didn’t seem to have. And for some reason, that was okay with Steve. Danny was motion and noise and drama, and Steve wouldn’t have him any other way.

“I’m glad he agreed to be a consultant,” Kono said finally. “He’s already been helpful on some of the cold cases we’ve been working on while you’ve been down, and I get the feeling that the money’s really going to come in handy for him.”

Steve nodded. “We haven’t really talked much about it, but from what I can tell, Danny’s horrible at putting good value on his time. The doula contract we signed was all-inclusive, and between the food he’s bought and the time he’s spent with Mary, double that price would still be pretty cheap.”

“If he charged too much, though, then only really rich people could afford him, and I just can’t see Danny moving among the rich and famous.”

They both laughed a little at the image.

After a few more minutes of silence, Kono spoke again. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure,” Steve said, curious.

Kono frowned, her focus still on the surfers and waves. “It’s none of my business, but…”

“We’re ohana,” Steve reminded her. “I may not answer, but I won’t get angry with you for asking.”

“Okay.” Kono flashed her dimples. “So, you and Danny seem to get along really well.”

“We argue all the time,” Steve reminded her.

“Yeah, but you smile at each other while you do it. There’s this… thing between you, like an invisible bond, a connection or something. It’s like you two have known each other for years instead of a few months.”

Steve acknowledged to himself that sometimes it felt like that to him too. “What’s the question?”

“Are you and Danny…” Kono stopped and sighed. “Look, I just wanted to say that if you and Danny decided to get together or something, we’d all be happy for you.”

Steve couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “Wait. You think there’s something between us? Something – ”

“I’m just saying that if you and Danny found yourselves together, that Chin and I and I’m sure Meka would be happy for you. We just want you to be happy.”

“I have Catherine,” Steve reminded her. “In fact, she’s out shopping with Mary right now.”

Something passed over Kono’s face, but it was so brief that Steve couldn’t catch it. “Catherine’s nice.”

“She is.”

“But.”

Part of Steve was screaming to put an end to the conversation, that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, but another part of him longed to have Kono help him figure this whole thing out. He wasn’t used to having all of these complications in his life – in the Navy, you were given orders, and you carried them out to achieve a certain objective. This whole personal life thing was confusing. There were no orders, no black and white objective, no good guy and bad guy. He felt himself moving through shades of grey, and he felt lost in the fog. “But?” He heard himself asking.

“But she doesn’t challenge you. In all the times I’ve seen you two together, I’ve never seen you so… energized and happy than when you’re around Danny.”

“Kono, Danny’s a guy.”

Lifting a shoulder, she said, “He’s a guy who seems to make you happy. And you deserve to be happy. We want you to be happy. DADT’s been repealed, so it’s not like they could kick you out of the reserves.”

“I’m not gay.”

“So, you’re bisexual.”

“I’m not bisexual!”

“Okay,” Kono said, her voice soothing. “I just wanted you to know that if something were to happen between you and Danny that we’d be happy for you.”

Amused despite himself, Steve said, “So you’re speaking for Chin now too?”

Another lift of the shoulder explained it all.

“You’ve been talking about my romantic life.” Steve sighed.

Kono grinned. “See what happens when you get shot and leave us alone in the office?”

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Monday morning, Steve was anxious to get to work, but he hadn’t seen Danny all weekend and found that it made him feel off balance. He noticed Danny’s car outside of the house when he headed out for a short, slow run to test out his leg, and the relief he felt at the fact that Danny was okay and back where he belonged brought Steve’s conversation with Kono back to the forefront. Shoving the whole confusing mess to the back of his mind, he focused checking in with his body as his feet pounded against the pavement. 

If, after his shower, Steve made more noise than usual in the kitchen putting together his breakfast, he wasn’t about to admit to it.

“What’s with the racket?” Danny appeared in doorway, hair just as messy as it had been when he’d come down to work out Steve’s cramp.

Steve had to force himself to stand still and fight against the sudden urge to race across the room and pull Danny into his arms. The strength of his longing took him by surprise, and he couldn’t do anything but grunt.

Blinking and rubbing his eyes, Danny walked deeper into the kitchen, stepping around Steve to get to the coffee maker. Fiddling with it, he pressed a button and collapsed in a chair, staring at the machine as it gurgled and hissed. After a few seconds, he looked up at Steve, frowning. “You okay?”

Realizing his hands were clenched into fists, Steve pulled them behind him and blinked. “Uh huh.”

Danny blinked, and Steve saw the dark shadows underneath his eyes. “Did you go do something and hurt your leg?”

“I’m fine,” Steve managed to get out, only to humiliate himself and blurt out, “Where were you all weekend?”

Danny’s face changed, and his gaze returned to the coffee maker as if it needed his attention to brew properly. “I was out and about.” He waved an arm vaguely. “Where’s Catherine?”

“She left yesterday afternoon,” Steve said, finally remembering his smoothie.

Danny nodded, scratching at his chin. He opened his mouth, took a breath, and closed it again.

For the first time, Steve felt uncomfortable around Danny, and obviously Danny was going through the same thing. He didn’t like it and wanted to say something to get rid of the awkwardness between them, but he was also worried that he’d do something to make it worse. Searching his brain for something to say, he finally said, “I heard you spent some time in the office last week helping Chin and Kono with some cold cases.”

Danny nodded. “You have an amazing setup over there. I felt like I walked out of the elevator into the thirty first century.”

Steve chuckled. “It’s not that unusual.”

“You, my friend, have no idea how good you have it there. When I was a cop, I got one of those typewriters that had the correctable ribbon, and you have no idea how many bribes were offered for me to let the others use it.”

“HPD has computers,” Steve said, grinning. “I’ve been through there.”

“And I bet most of those computers are so old that they aren’t capable of accessing the internet,” Danny shot back. “You have a table that’s a computer, Steve. A table! And you can do this swiping thing –” Danny flicked his hand across the kitchen table, “ – and suddenly put it on one of your thirty monitors around the room.” He held out his hands, palms up. “You have large monitors around the room.” Standing, he grabbed his coffee mug and started pouring his coffee. “And don’t get me started about your space-age phones.”

“We have regular phones,” Steve protested, trying not to laugh, realizing how much he’d missed this.

“Okay,” Danny conceded. “Your phones aren’t all that extraordinary until Chin gets his hands on them. He whipped that thing out the other day and did everything but teleport himself.”

Steve rolled his eyes, finishing the last of his smoothie, grateful that they seemed to be back in tune. “Are you coming into the office today?”

“I have some things to do this morning, but barring any complications, I should be there sometime after lunch.”

“Sounds good,” Steve said, rinsing out the glass and sliding it into the dishwasher.

“Oh,” Danny started, sounding oddly hesitant. “My ex called and asked if I could pick Grace up from school tomorrow and keep her for the night.”

It took a few seconds for Steve to realize that Danny was trying to ask for permission, and he realized that Danny didn’t seem to understand that this was his house too. “It’ll be good to see her,” he said, hoping Danny got the message. When he turned around, he was hopeless when faced with an absurdly happy Danny Williams.

“Yeah, okay then,” Danny said, scratching at his cheek and smiling a little bashfully. “I’ll see you later.” Grabbing his mug, he headed back upstairs.

Feeling absurdly pleased, Steve grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone, and headed into the office.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Two weeks later, Danny leaned against the car, arms folded, as he waited for Grace to finish her school day. He’d been looking forward to this ever since Rachel had called. At first he’d been worried that Steve might have a problem with Grace coming over with no notice during the week, but Steve and Grace had become fast friends, which did a lot to ally Danny’s worries. Unfortunately, Steve’s adoring Grace turned out to be a big turn on for Danny. But all he had to do was remind himself of what had happened the last time he thought he and Steve had been having a moment. All it gotten him was disappointment and a few nights on the lumpy couch in his borrowed office.

The McGarrett house had definitely become home to him, and to Grace, and he knew he should be worried about that. It wasn’t meant to be permanent, despite how easily Danny seemed to fit into Mary and Steve’s schedules. Of course, there really wasn’t much conflict, seeing as the person with the busiest social life was six months pregnant, but still. Every night, Danny would resolve to start looking for apartments the next day, but he’d get caught up in one of Steve’s cases, or one of his ladies would need his help. Between Mary’s elementary school friends’ connections and Chin and Kono’s fertile ‘cousins’, Danny was almost in a position where he’d have to turn someone away to make sure that his schedule wasn’t adversely affecting any of his regular clients.

There were times when, in the middle of working a case, Danny’s cell phone alarm would ring to remind him of a doula appointment, and he could see the annoyance flicker across Steve’s face. It would pass so quickly that he’d probably miss it if he didn’t know Steve as well as he did, and Steve never said anything about it, but Danny knew what he was thinking. He knew that Kono and Chin also couldn’t understand why he continued to be a doula when it was obvious he was enjoying himself so much consulting with them.

But he couldn’t ignore his gift. He’d tried it once, back in Jersey, and it had ended up almost destroying him. Besides, he found that being a doula actually fulfilled him on a certain level. Maybe it was because he’d been raised around a lot of women, but he found enjoyed being needed. As a cop, closing a case, helping a family find closure for an injustice did feel wonderful. But helping a woman through her pregnancy, through the birth, and afterwards fulfilled him in a way that being a cop never had.

So here he stood, straddling two worlds, finally making enough money to put down a deposit on an actual decent home, and he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. 

And fortunately, Catherine hadn’t been back since, so he’d been able to sleep in his own bed every night. He knew at some point she’d return, and he figured it would spur him enough to find his own place. Until then, he decided to enjoy having a home filled with laughter and people who cared about him.

“Danno!” Grace ran for him, and he bent low, catching her and standing as he received one of the best hugs ever. He tried to commit each spontaneous hug to memory, knowing that sooner than he’d like, he’d have to cajole or guilt her into them, and she’d be too old to run up to him in front of her school. “What are we going to do tonight?”

As he’d become accustomed to Grace’s visits, Steve had begun making plans. First it was small things, like his digging up more buckets and shovels from the garage so they could make a massive sand castle (complete with fortified walls and extra-deep moat) and on a Friday night, a collection of family movies with a sea-theme (Danny had been pleased to see one of his favorites, “Finding Nemo”, at the top of the pile). Then Steve started handing Danny little clippings from the paper about events going on around town that he thought Grace might like. Of course, Danny and Grace weren’t about to go without Steve, so they ended up spending most of their time together.

“First, do you have homework?”

Grace grinned. “I finished it already.”

“Well then. Steve has us going to some sort of fair or market or something.” Danny hadn’t really paid attention. He trusted Steve’s judgment, on this at least, although he explained to Steve that the SEAL and Grace were pretty much on the same maturity level, so all Steve had to do was find something that interested him – barring violence and destruction – and Grace would be all for it. “We’re gonna go home so you can get changed,” he nodded at her private school uniform, “and have a snack, and then we’ll head out.”

Grace grinned, bouncing on her seat as she started to tell Danny about her day.

This was one of Danny’s favorite times, seeing the world through his daughter’s eyes. Unfortunately, a sharp pain across his body had him gasping and trying to keep the car under control.

“Danno?”

Danny could hear the worry in his daughter’s voice, but he had to concentrate. Breathing in short pants, he focused on the direction of the familiar pain and hit the turn signal to head in that direction.

“It’s your doula gift?”

“Yeah, baby, it is.” He hazarded a look over at her and noticed her hand on her stomach. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Just like I’m gonna throw up.” She paused for a moment. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

Wiping at his sweaty forehead with a shaking hand, he leaned over the steering wheel to try to assuage the pain. “Yeah, baby, this one’s really bad.”

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Steve looked at his watch for the fourth time in about as many minutes. Danny and Grace were over thirty minutes late. Steve knew precisely how long it took for Danny to drive to Grace’s school from the house, and even giving Danny some extra time to talk to a teacher and meander, the man should have been here at least twenty minutes ago. They’d discussed their plans, so it wasn’t as though Danny didn’t know to come directly home. He’d started to call Danny quite a few times, but he didn’t want to seem too needy. Now, he was too worried to care. He hit his speed dial button, pacing the living room as he waited for Danny to answer.

“Uncle Steve?” Grace had taken to calling him that a few weeks earlier, and he still refused to admit to anyone that the lump in his throat had made him unable to speak for quite a long time. This time, however, the quiver to her voice worried him.

“Grace, what’s wrong?” There was a pause, and he found himself grabbing his keys. 

“Danno can’t drive anymore,” Grace said, her tearful voice hitching.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, but Danno tried to help the lady…” the sound of Grace’s sobs made Steve’s hands clench around the steering wheel. 

“Where are you? Grace, honey, I need you to take a breath and tell me where you are.” Grace gave him directions, and he pictured the span of highway. “Okay. I’m going to switch to the other line and call 911.”

“No! You can’t call them! Promise you won’t call them!” Grace began to get hysterical, and Steve promised he wouldn’t call for an ambulance. He didn’t mention that he’d get Chin on it if he felt it was necessary.

Steve kept Grace on the line, talking to her in reassuring tones until he saw the car pulled over on the side of the road. Carefully doing a u-turn, he pulled up behind the Camaro and was out of his car and pulling open Grace’s door in an instant. Grace threw herself at him, hugging him for a few seconds before pulling away. “We need to get Danno home.”

Steve looked at the empty driver’s seat. “Where is he?”

Grace pointed to a copse of trees a few hundred feet away. “He doesn’t like me to see him like this.”

“Stay here and lock the door,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

Still unsure of what had happened, Steve pulled out his gun and walked slowly toward the trees, his eyes taking in every movement, every potential for ambush. What he found was something totally unexpected. “Danno!”

Danny lay in the sand, jerking and moaning like he was going through a seizure. Steve quickly went through his knowledge about seizures and his limited knowledge of Danny’s medical history as he knelt at the man’s side.

Danny’s eyes opened, revealing a pain that jabbed at Steve’s heart. He held out his arm, as if to push Steve away, but it held no strength. “Gracie. Don’t.”

Understanding, Steve said, “She’s still in the car.”

Danny nodded, his arm flopping back down to his side.

Steve pulled out his phone.

“No! No calls!” Danny said, his voice shaking along with his body.

“I don’t know a lot about seizures, and I’m not sure how long you’ve been going through this, but you need help.”

“Happens,” Danny said. “Just need to get home.”

Steve frowned, not liking the thought entering his mind. “How often does this happen to you?”

“Now, Steven? Really?” Danny managed to tinge his shaky voice with disgust before groaning and curling into a shaky ball.

Sighing and hating that he didn’t know what to do, he asked, “What can I do?”

“Need to get Grace and car home,” Danny said.

“No,” Steve said, exasperated. “What can I do for you?”

“Need bed. Time. Fluids.”

Steve blinked. “I hate to tell you this, Danno, but I don’t think –”

“Please,” Danny pleaded.

Steve’s resolve crumbled at the desperate tone. “Okay.” He looked over by the car, thinking. “Okay. I’m going to call Chin and get him to pick up Kono. One of them can drive your car, and I’ll take you and Grace in the truck.” He reached out a hand but pulled it back, worried he’d hurt Danny. “Are you sure –”

“No hospitals.”

“Okay,” Steve sighed, standing. “Let me call Chin.”

“Check on Grace?”

Steve hesitated. Grace was pretty scared, but she was safe in the car. Danny was still jerking around, and Steve worried what might happen if he turned his back.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Danny muttered.

Steve shook his head but couldn’t bring himself to laugh at Danny’s attempt to lighten the mood. “I’ll be right back,” he promised. He made a quick phone call to Chin, only providing the basics and promising more information later, his eyes never leaving Danny as he walked backwards to the car.

Grace opened the door. “How’s Danno?”

“I told you to lock the door,” Steve said, watching her out of the corner of his eye, his focus still on Danny jerking in the treeline. Danny had managed to get far enough so that only his legs showed, and Steve could see them only because he hadn’t looked away.

“I unlocked it when I saw you coming back,” Grace said, her voice soft and calm.

Surprised at her calm, Steve looked at her fully, saw the resolve in her eyes. “He’s going to be okay.”

She nodded. “He always is.”

Amazed at the little girl, Steve had so many questions but knew that now was not the time. “Chin and Kono should be here soon, and we’re gonna take Danno home, okay?”

“Here.” Grace handed him a sports drink. “This’ll help.”

“Thanks,” Steve said, waiting until she got back into the car and locked the door before running back over to the trees. By the time he was back on his knees beside Danny, Steve was marginally relieved to see that the seizures had dialed down to tremors and a few involuntary jerks. 

Wrapping his arms around his stomach, Danny opened his eyes briefly. “How’s Grace?”

“Worried about you,” Steve said.

“I’ll be okay. Just need some time.”

“Grace gave me this.” Steve showed him the bottle.

Danny shook his head, holding out his trembling hands. “Can’t yet.”

Used to assessing a situation quickly, Steve made a decision. Sliding to Danny’s head, he grabbed the man by the armpits and pulled him up so that Danny’s back rested against his chest.

“What’re you –”

“Shh,” Steve said quietly. “I’m doing a thing.”

“A thing?” Danny tried to laugh, but it came out like a wheeze.

Reaching for the bottle he’d lain aside, he twisted it open and brought it to Danny’s mouth. “Drink.”

“I can’t –” Danny said, body still jerking.

“Stop arguing and start drinking,” Steve said, tilting the bottle so Danny didn’t have much of a choice. Between the two of them, Steve figured that Danny managed to drink a slight bit more than what he’d spilled on his clothes.

“Chin and Kono are here,” Steve said, relived when he heard the motorcycle. If he couldn’t get Danny to agree to a visit to the emergency room, he wanted Danny home and lying in his bed yesterday.

Kono and Chin ran up and knelt beside Steve and Danny.

“Hey,” Kono said softly, reaching out like Steve had done earlier and pulling back just he’d done as well.

Danny’s eyes flickered as he gave them a ghost of a smile. “Hey.”

“So the plan is…” Chin started, eyes flickering up to Steve.

“We’re gonna get Danny into my truck,” Steve said. “He and Grace are going to ride with me. Kono, I need you to drive the Camaro back to the house.”

Kono grinned, her dimple flashing.

“Easy with the car, Kalakaua,” Danny said, his voice still shaking but sounding a little stronger than it had a little earlier. “I know how you drive.”

“I’ll treat it like it’s my own,” Kono promised.

They all laughed at Danny’s moan.

In the end, Danny couldn’t handle the pain in his stomach whenever he tried to straighten, and when Steve couldn’t stand it anymore, he had Chin drive the truck as close to Danny as he could. It was a testament to how sick Danny felt that he let Steve slip an arm underneath Danny’s legs and carry him the rest of the way. Grace, who’d slipped into the truck with Chin, helped pull Danny into the cab from the inside, gently pushing Steve aside so she could put Danny’s seat belt on him herself. While he was touched with Grace’s tender care of her father, Steve didn’t like the feeling he got while watching her practiced movements.

As he drove, much more carefully than usual taking into consideration his precious cargo, he pieced together the clues, the things Grace and Danny had said and not said. Frowning, he knew there was a whole lot he was missing, and he was determined to get answers. But now was not the time, not with Danny still in such pain, and there was no way Steve was going to interrogate Grace. So Steve dug deep and found some seldom-used patience as he pulled into his driveway.

Fifteen minutes later, Danny lay sleeping in Steve’s large bed, clad in his boxers and one of Steve’s t-shirts. Chin and Steve stood over him, catching their breath. For such a short guy, Danny was certainly solid, and it had taken Steve and Chin longer than any of them had wanted to get Danny upstairs. Steve had corrected Chin with, “my bed’s bigger, and the bathroom’s closer,” when the other man had immediately headed for Danny’s room. With a simple adjustment, they’d taken Danny into Steve’s room, where they learned that an unconscious Danny was tough to navigate. Even mostly asleep, Danny was still in pain and alternated between jerking away from them and having his body flop unhelpfully in various directions.

Sensing movement in the doorway, Steve turned and nodded at the eyeballs peeking around the door frame. Instantly, Grace was beside him, staring down at her father.

“He’ll be okay soon,” Steve said, hoping he was telling the truth.

Grace nodded. “He always sleeps a lot afterward.” She looked up at Steve, her eyes large and solemn and slipped her hand into his. “Thank you for coming to get us.”

If he hadn’t already been in love with her, Steve’s heart would’ve melted right on the spot. “I’ll be there any time you need me,” he promised.

Danny jerked a little and shifted, and Steve whispered, “Let’s go downstairs, let Danno rest.” It seemed natural to put her on his hip and carry her downstairs, her head resting on his shoulder. He walked her out to the lanai and sat down one of the chairs. She snuffled, getting comfortable, and Steve caught Kono and Chin’s smiles as they sat down on the second – and the third chair that Steve had finally bought a few days earlier.

Steve wanted to sit down with Kono and Chin, try to figure out what was going on, but he couldn’t do it with Grace on his lap, and he wasn’t prepared to put her down yet. So they all sat down and watched the sun lower into the ocean.


	10. How It All Began

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have been waiting for this chapter for quite a while... thanks for your patience.

Eventually, Steve took Grace upstairs and put her in Danny’s bed, and once he was certain she was comfortable, he poked his head into his room to check on Danny. All he could see from the doorway was a tuft of blond hair and a Danny-sized lump curled underneath the blanket. Stepping further into the room, he smiled at the tousled hair, Danny’s mouth half-open. It only took a few seconds for him to realize that Danny’s being in his bed felt right, and part of him wondered why it had taken so long to get him there.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there before he heard Danny’s cell phone ringing in the closet where Steve had hung up his clothes. Quickly grabbing the phone, he stepped out of the room and answered with a quiet, “Hello.”

“You aren’t Danny.”

“No, this is Steve McGarrett,” Steve said, walking down the stairs.

“Is Danny okay?”

“He’s sleeping right now,” Steve said. “May I ask who’s calling?”

“I’m sorry,” the voice said. “I’m Margaret, Danny’s mother.”

Steve didn’t know what to say. “Nice to meet you, Ma’am.”

“What time is it there?”

“Almost six pm.” Steve walked out to the lanai, mouthing, “Danny’s mom” to Chin and Kono.

“And Danny’s asleep?”

“Um…”

Another sigh. “Let me guess. Seizure-like symptoms, severe stomach cramps, body tremors.”

Steve stopped pacing. “Yes, ma’am. Grace told us that energy drinks helped, so I got him to drink some of that.”

“Grace was there?”

“All I know is that she was in the car, and Danny was behind some trees when I got there.”

“Where was there?”

“On the side of the road,” Steve said.

Danny’s mom mumbled something underneath her breath.

“Ma’am, what are we looking at? Both Danny and Grace said that he didn’t need a hospital, but we can still –”

“No, they’re right,” she said. After a few seconds, she asked, “what do you know about Danny’s condition?”

“Nothing yet,” Steve said. “He wasn’t really in the position to talk when I found him.”

“And Grace?”

“I wasn’t going to grill a little girl whose father –”

“Just checking,” the woman said, humor in her voice, reminding Steve of her son. “I can tell that they’re both in good hands. Can you ask my son to give me a call when he’s feeling better?”

“Actually,” Steve said, “I was hoping you could give me more information on Danny’s condition.”

“That’s not my story to tell,” the woman said, “but let Danny sleep, make sure he gets lots of protein pour more of the energy drink down his throat when he wakes up, and he’ll get better.”

Another thought popped into Steve’s mind, and he heard himself asking before he’d considered it. “How did you know to call?”

The woman laughed. “Danny might think that we live in the dark ages, but we know how to use the computer. We pay attention to the news in Hawaii. In fact,” she said, her voice a little more animated, “while you’re waiting for Danny to wake up, you might want to go online and check out the exciting goings-on in your neck of the woods yourself.”

Realizing it was the most he was going to get out of her, he said, resigned, “I’ll do that.”

“I’ll let you get to it then. Oh, and Steve?”

“Ma’am?”

“Thank you for being his friend. He probably thinks he’s been hiding it from me, but a mother knows when her son’s having a difficult time. Until he had to move there, he was always around family, and he’s not the child I’d say is the most outgoing when it comes to making friends. So when he started mentioning you, telling me about your letting him stay with you, I will admit that I was a bit… worried. But being there has been good for him. You, Mary, Kono and… Chin is it? You’ve become good friends to him. And I’m glad he has people there for him now.”

Steve felt his face growing hot, and he turned away from Chin and Kono. “He’s a good guy,” he said, meaning it.

“Take care of yourself and give Chin and Kono my love,” she said.

“Wait!” Steve said. He gave her his, Chin, and Kono’s cell numbers just in case she needed to get in touch with them before he hung up.

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Danny inhaled until his lungs started to hurt, exhaling luxuriously until a shot of pain drew him up short. He started to take inventory of his body, recognizing the aches in muscles, the pain in his joints. He’d had an episode, a very bad episode, and he reached into his mind to remember.

It only took a few seconds to remember it all, and he didn’t realize he’d stared hyperventilating until he felt one hand on his shoulder, another on his chest, and a voice telling him to “take it easy”.

Eventually he calmed down enough to open his eyes and found an unfamiliar room. His last memory was of Steve kneeling beside him on the ground. Steve! Shit! He sat up and closed his eyes again to fight down the nausea. Damn it, he knew his body wouldn’t be up to anything strenuous for a while longer.

“Danno, relax. Just breathe. It’s okay.”

Feeling the expected headache, Danny lay quietly, his eyes still closed. He’d relaxed once he recognized Steve’s voice. “Grace?” His voice sounded like he’d swallowed a mouthful of gravel, and his throat didn’t feel much better.

“She’s downstairs making dinner with Mary,” Steve said.

“Oh well,” Danny muttered, “I wasn’t gonna be able to eat anyway.”

Steve chuckled. “They can’t get better if they aren’t allowed in the kitchen.”

Danny waved an arm weakly. “Grace is fine; Mary’s the one who worries me.” 

“You’re already – “ Steve waved an arm in the air, grinning. “You must be on the mend.”

Feeling guilty about dumping everything on Steve without warning or explanation, Danny held out his hand toward the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry you had to –”

Steve’s hand pressing on his shoulder stopped him. “We’ll talk later. You need to rest.”

“I’ll be fine,” Danny said, pulling himself up slowly, finally opening his eyes. “It’s just muscle fatigue from the seizures.” He looked around. “Is this your room?” Steve nodded. “What am I doing in your room?”

Steve lifted a shoulder, looking a little uncomfortable. “My bed’s a lot roomier and more comfortable than yours.”

Danny shifted a little. “You know what, it totally is. And what is this? A California king?”

Steve smiled slightly. “It’s just a regular king.”

Snorting, Danny ran his hand over the sheet. “Let me guess. Egyptian cotton with some insanely high thread count.”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Steve said. “I’m going to get you something to drink. I’ll be right back.”

Steve left, and Danny took a moment, gingerly sliding back down, turning and smelling the sheets. He knew it was probably a little creepy, but he liked the idea of being surrounded by Steve’s scent, a distinctly masculine combination of gun oil, the sun, and the sea. Taking another, shallow because his stomach muscles were hating him something fierce, breath, Danny eased himself off the bed. He accidentally opened Steve’s insanely organized closet before finding the bathroom and relieving himself, quickly washing his hands and limping back to the bed before Steve returned a few moments later with a tray and a visitor.

“That looks like more than just something to drink,” Danny noted, reaching out his arm. “C’mere, Monkey.”

Grace darted around Steve and climbed into the bed, carefully curling beside Danny.

Steve put down the lap desk at the foot of the bed and picked up a glass. “Here’s the drink.”

“Mary and I made you dinner, Danno!”

Danny kissed the top of her head. “Thank you so much! I’m sure it’s delicious.”

“It’s just soup, because I know how much –” Grace stopped, biting her lip as she looked from her dad to Steve.

“It’s okay,” Danny said. “I’m going to explain it all to Steve.”

Grace smiled, a huge relieved grin that had Danny smiling back. “Good, because I can’t take care of you all of the time.”

Danny chuckled. “You can’t, huh?”

“Nope. I have school.”

Danny looked up at Steve, suddenly taken aback at the fondness in Steve’s eyes as he stared at Grace. Sleep deprived, half drunk, or soaking wet, Steve was always beautiful. But there was something even sexier at seeing Steve watch Danny’s daughter with love in his eyes. Danny grabbed the blanket with his free hand to keep from reaching up, grabbing Steve by the neck, and pulling his face closer until their lips were close.

“Try the soup!” Grace’s voice brought him back to the present, and he let go of her to scoot back enough so his back was flush against the headboard. He took the glass of brightly colored liquid and let Steve put the tray over his legs.

The soup was an… interesting color. Danny looked up at Steve for help, but the man just grinned and folded his arms. Danny understood the look: this is what you get for not telling me all about this before. Giving Steve one last glare, Danny picked up a spoon, dipped it in the pinkish liquid, and took a small sip. “Wow, this is really… um.”

Grace beamed. “You like it? I wasn’t sure about it, but Mary said that it would make you feel better.”

“Thank you so much,” Danny said, shooting Steve a look. “Where’s yours? I’m sure you’d love some soup too.”

“I already ate,” Steve said, not even trying to look regretful as he patted his flat stomach. “But you go ahead and eat up.”

“Gracie, can you go get my pills? They’re in –”

“ – the bag in the top of the dresser in your room,” Grace finished, hopping off the bed and running out of the room.

“I think I remember Chin and Kono helping me out. Are they available?”

“I can call them,” Steve said.

“Good. I only want to have to explain this once.” Danny rubbed a hand all over his face. “How long was I out?”

Steve looked at his watch. “About thirty hours?”

Danny knew he was staring at Steve, but he was shocked. Frequently, he’d slept eight to ten hours, but he’d never been so bad off that he’d been under for so long.

“If you hadn’t opened those eyes of yours in the next hour or so, I was going to take you to the hospital no matter what Margaret said.”

Still musing how long he’d been out, Danny needed a few seconds before he grasped Steve’s words. “When did you talk to my mom?”

“You mean the first time?” Steve’s smirk wasn’t at all attractive, and Danny made a mental note to get him back at the earliest opportunity.

But at the present moment, he had a more urgent matter to discuss and a limited about of time in which to discuss it. Leaning closer to Steve, he whispered, “I’ll pay you a thousand dollars to pour this soup out in the bathroom before Grace gets back.”

HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0

Chin and Kono made it over at seven that night when Steve was cleaning up after a dinner that Danny had barely eaten. Claiming that he wasn’t an invalid, Danny made his way downstairs, with Steve and Grace both doing a poor job of trying not to hover. He’d slowly sunk onto one of the chairs on the lanai, eyeballing the additional chairs and tossing a faint smirk over at Steve, who shrugged and smiled.

After he’d gotten the call from Grace, Steve had immediately gone into emergency mode, focused on what needed to be done. But after he’d taken care of Danny and Grace and spoken to Danny’s mom, he’d had time to reflect, and that’s when he’d almost hyperventilated at the thought that he could’ve lost Danny before he’d even figured out where the other man fit into his life. And finally his mind started to realize what his heart had been trying to tell him, that he no longer wanted to live without Danny in his life.

Now he tried to replace those harsh memories from the other day with this picture of Danny sitting at the dinner table, laughing with Kono and Chin, Grace on his lap. He absently noted Danny’s place at the end of the table, Chin and Kono protecting either side of his flank as if waiting for someone to come and attack the man.

He decided to table his discussion about the fact that Danny shifted his dinner around his plate and was now subtly feeding his dessert to a distracted Grace until later. Right now, they had more important things to talk about.

“So,” Danny sighed, looking at Steve leaning against the wall. “You want to have a seat, Mr. Tall Dark and Looming so we can get this over with?”

Rolling his eyes, Steve took a seat at the head of the table so he could watch Danny unobstructed. It also helped him curb his sudden need to press his hand against Danny’s chest and feel his heartbeat. “Do you want me to call Mary?” He glanced at Grace.

“Nah,” Danny said, tugging his daughter so she leaned against him. “Grace already knows the story, or most of it, anyway. She’s old enough to learn the rest.” He thought a moment. “Okay. So I need to start this story in the past, way, way back. We can trace our lineage on my mom’s side to about 1637, outside of Cologne, Germany. During this time, women were being tried, tortured, and convicted of witchcraft. The story goes that one of my greats –”

“Grandmother Amelberga,” Grace supplied helpfully.

“Yes, great great great,” Danny made a rolling motion with his hand, “Grandmother Amelberga was walking to town when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Being the inquisitive type, she put down her milk bucket and walked over to the edge of the woods where she found a woman, sweating and bleeding.”

“She was really pregnant,” Grace said.

“She was so pregnant, in fact, that she was in labor that very minute. Amelberga dragged her a little further in to the road before running back to her house, pulling her husband Abelard away from the fields, and returning with him and a cart. They took her to their house and did what they could. Unfortunately, she was very weak and very wounded, and she didn’t make it. She must’ve known that it was a possibility that she was going to leave her baby alone in the world, so she whispered the name of her people and where they lived. Over and over, she whispered it between breaths, between groans, between pushes.

“After many hours, a little girl was finally born, her mother taking one last look at her before she died.

“Now, Amelberga and Abelard were never blessed with children, and at first, they were tempted to keep the child for themselves. But after a week, they knew they had to find the little girl’s people. So they got Abelard’s brothers to watch over their land and livestock, and away they went.”

“Where did they go?” Kono asked, elbows on the table, totally absorbed in the tale. Realizing that he and Chin were mimicking Kono, Steve deliberately leaned back in his chair.

“I don’t know.” Grinning at the groans, he said, “we don’t know exactly where they went, but we know what happened once they got there.” That got everyone’s attention. “The town had been torn apart, most of the women accused of witchcraft and taken away. The few women left were either older or very young.

“The baby’s family lived far outside of town. They didn’t socialize with anyone, and when they came to town, they did their business, paid in full, and left. They weren’t hostile, just distant. After a few years, the townspeople didn’t really think of them as anything other than the strange family down the road. 

“And this is where Amelberga and Abelard headed. Once they got there, they found the road impassable. So they hid their wagon as best they could, wrapped up the baby, and walked to the house they saw in the distance. Once they got there, they called out to anyone in the house, and after a few minutes, someone called back asking their business. They related their story, holding up the baby and apologizing for not being able to save the baby’s mother, and eventually the door opened to reveal a wizened lady half bent over, using a cane of dark wood.”

“Wizened means old,” Grace explained.

“The woman slowly made her way down the stairs, walking up to them until she was staring right at the sleeping baby. She pointed her finger, putting it gently to the baby’s forehead, and the baby’s eyes opened right up. The baby and the old lady looked at each other for a few seconds, and then they both began to smile, not a tooth in either head.

“The old lady took the baby, turned, and slowly made her way up the stairs. Once she got to the door, she turned back, looked hard at Amelberga and Abelard. Her lips moved, as if she were whispering something, she tilted her head, and walked into the house.

“Amelberga and Abelard stood there for a few minutes, but the lady never returned. Eventually, they went back to their cart and returned home.

“A few months later, a young pregnant woman showed up at Amelberga and Abelard’s home, lost and hungry. Amelberga took one look at her and suddenly saw it all – the sex of the child, the facts that this woman was going to have a difficult birth and that the birth was going to happen soon, the knowledge of how to save this woman and her baby’s lives.

“Soon word got around that Amelberga was a geburtshelferin with a gift.” He bumped Grace.

“Geburtshelferin is a midwife,” she said.

“Thank you, Monkey. People frequently came to her home, and there were times when she’d sense she was needed, and she’d venture out, following her instincts, until she came across the pregnant woman who needed her particular skills, the ones with the difficult births.”

“Wait,” Chin said, hand braced on the table. “You said Aml…Amel…”

“Amelberga,” Danny and Grace said.

“Amelberga,” Chin said slowly, testing it out in his mouth. “You said that she’d never had children. How can she be your great great,” he repeated Danny’s hand wave, “grandmother?”

“About nine months, give or take – “ Danny tilted his hand side to side “ – after dropping off the baby, Almelberga gave birth to a daughter. A few years after that, she had a little boy, and then three more girls,” Danny said. “One night, on her way home from delivering a child, Amelberga died. My mother thinks it probably was a heart attack. A few days later, a woman knocked on the door, and the eldest daughter answered, prepared to tell the woman that her mother had passed away. Instead, she looked at the woman and saw it all, just as her mother had. And she knew in that moment that her mother’s gift had transferred to her.”

“So the gift was passed down to the eldest daughter once her mother passed away?” Kono asked.

“It’s not that cut and dry,” Danny said. “We’ve always been told that any of the daughters can get the gift, but only one will have it per generation, and while they might have a sense of something, they don’t know for sure that they have the gift until the current possessor passes away.”

Steve could see where this was going. “But you’re a guy.”

“Yeah,” Danny muttered, rubbing at his face with a hand. “Something went a little hinky. Mom thinks it’s because I was always Grandma Richter’s favorite, but it’s a known fact that no one has control over who gets the gift.”

“I’m gonna have it,” Grace said, licking the last bit of Danny’s ice cream off her spoon.

Danny smiled, rolling his eyes, and Steve could tell that this was a conversation the two had had many times before.

Kono grinned, wiping a spot of ice cream off the corner of Grace’s mouth. “How do you know that?”

“I’m Danno’s only child,” Grace said, shrugging.

“It’s always been passed down from mother to daughter, never aunt to niece,” Danny explained.

“But you’re a guy with the gift?” Chin asked.

“Our education system at work, ladies and gentlemen,” Danny grinned. “I’m the only male who’s ever had the gift, as far as we know.”

“Aunt Frannie’s pissed about it, too,” Grace added.

“Monkey.”

“Well, that’s what Aunt Maggie said.”

“That trashy mouth? You know you should never listen to your Aunt Maggie.”

Steve looked around, seeing his goofy grin reflected on Kono and Chin’s faces. There was something wonderful about watching the obvious love Danny and Grace felt for each other. It felt pure. It made Steve feel like a better person for being included in their family.

“Anyway, so my sister Frannie was determined to do everything she could to make sure that she was the one who got the gift. She took classes, got licensed, delivered tons of babies.

“And then one day, Grandma Richter passed away, at the ripe old age of ninety seven.”

“How long did it take for you to realize you had the gift?” Kono asked.

“Two days. I was on a stakeout, an overnight, and I suddenly started getting the shakes, my heart was pounding, I started sweating. I was almost sure I was having a heart attack, but something was telling me that I was in the wrong place. I got someone to replace me, and I just kept driving until I felt I was where I was supposed to be.”

Danny sighed, his eyes growing unfocused as he hugged Grace a little tighter. She twisted, resting her cheek on his chest as if she knew he needed her presence. “Turned out, there was a homeless girl staying in an abandoned building, and she’d gone into labor. Alone.

“It was strange. The shakes were gone, and I felt steady. I just kinda knew what to do. I followed my instincts and called for an ambulance about six hours later, after she’d had the baby.

“I got into my car, and suddenly I got hit with these unbelievable stomach cramps. I don’t know how long I was there before I felt well enough to drive to mom’s, where she called a family meeting.

“Frannie was mad, like Gracie said,” Danny said, smiling down at his daughter. “I think my other sisters were just glad it wasn’t them.”

“You think all of these issues you have is because you’re a male with what’s essentially a female gift?” Kono asked.

“Actually, my dad figured it out,” Danny said. “We’re all sitting around the table. My sisters and mom are tossing out thoughts and ideas while I’m just trying not to throw up all over the table. Dad walks in, grabs a beer, and says, ‘No wonder the boy’s insides are tied up in a knot. It doesn’t know what to do with all that woman stuff.’ And that made me almost forget about the nausea.”

“You mention the shakes and pounding heart, but what about those seizures?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, I went a little too far,” Danny admitted, patting at his hair with a hand. “See, I can recuperate from a regular delivery fairly quickly. Something a little more difficult may require about twelve hours sleep. But today. The other day,” he corrected, “I felt a pull toward the freeway. A pregnant woman had been injured in a car accident, and I thought.” Danny closed his eyes, swallowed. “I gave too much,” he said simply, opening his eyes and staring straight at Steve, not bothering to hide his anguish and pain.

“You did the best you could,” Steve said, knowing from his research that neither mother nor daughter survived.

Danny’s shoulder raised and fell in a brief shrug.

“That’s why you stopped being a cop,” Kono said suddenly, understanding coloring her voice.

“A man can’t have two masters,” Danny said. “I loved being a cop, but there were times…” he faded for a moment, a distant look in his eyes. “This one time, I went to get lunch for me and my partner, and a woman in the apartment next door to the pizza shop went into labor. It wasn’t particularly dangerous, but it was her first child. So by the time I’d passed her on to the paramedics, I was a mess.” He raised his hands. “My hands were shaking, I was sweating… I need at least a good night’s sleep sometimes to get back to full strength.”

Deliberately focusing on preventative measures to keep himself from reliving the fear he’d felt earlier, Steve said, “First, we’ll make sure you have all of our phone numbers on speed dial.”

“Already done,” Danny said. “You’re two, Chin three, Kono four.”

“Hey,” Kono complained.

“Older and wiser, cousin,” Chin gloated.

“And, uh, C comes before K in the alphabet,” Danny muttered, grinning.

“Who’s one?” Steve hoped he didn’t sound as jealous out loud as he suddenly felt inside.

“That’s me,” Grace said simply, limp in her dad’s arms.

Kissing her cheek, Danny said, “Why don’t you go take a shower and get ready for bed? I’ll be up to tuck you in in a bit.”

Grace nodded, rubbing an eye with her fist. “G’night,” she said, hugging each person.

They watched her go upstairs accompanied by a chorus of “goodnight”.

“Okay,” Steve said, back to business. “We also need to know exactly what do you for you. I was worried that you’d bite your tongue or choke on your own vomit –”

“I threw up?” Danny looked horrified.

“No, but I didn’t know if it were even a possibility.” Steve thought. “We need a list of behaviors and treatments. I want to know about those pills Grace got you and where we can get more. Do you have a doctor?”

“Not one for this,” Danny said.

That led Steve to another train of thought. “Who knows about this?”

“My family, of course,” Danny said, “and Rachel, and now you three.”

Steve realized he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he found he was anyway.

“Brah, your business would soar if people knew about this,” Kono said.

Danny leveled her a look. “Imagine the government got wind of this. No, I mean it,” he said over chuckles. “I can actually fix things inside women with my brain.” 

“That could be a good thing,” Kono insisted. “Imagine the breakthroughs in medicine.”

“And it’s just a short hop to being able to mess things up in just the same way,” Danny said quietly, urgency in his voice as he leaned toward Kono. “You think people would just stop at helping? Warfare wouldn’t be the same.”

“And in order to try to figure out what’s happening, they’d need a look inside that brain,” Chin said.

“A lot of governments would pay top dollar for that,” Steve added.

Kono’s smile died. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Because you’re a good, ethical person,” Danny said, smiling at her. “These two, though. One wants to cut me open, and the other wants to put me up for auction.”

Everyone smiled, easing the tension.

“So what now?” Steve asked. “You’re still pretty weak.”

“I’ve only had it this bad once before, about fifteen years ago,” Danny admitted. “I was a little sore and weak for a couple of days, but after that, it’s all good.”

“I’m glad you told us,” Chin said, clapping Danny on the shoulder.

“Yeah,” Kono agreed. “The next time you end up on the side of the road, we’ll know what’s happening.”

“That won’t happen again,” Steve said, glaring at Danny.


	11. Face to Face, Heart to Heart

Danny didn’t have a chance to talk to Steve until after Chin and Kono left and after he’d put Grace to bed.

He slowly made his way down the stairs, sensing movement out on the lanai. Easing himself into one of the chairs and resting his feet on another, he sighed, enjoying the small breeze in the darkness. A small light from the living room bled through just enough so that he could see without destroying the calm, relaxed vibe.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Pretty good, considering.”

Steve handed him a glass. “Drink up.”

Bracing himself, he took a sip, surprised at the refreshing taste.

“I found a recipe for a homemade sports drink,” Steve said, and Danny could hear the embarrassment in his voice. “I don’t have all the ingredients, yet, but considering how much you’ve had to drink…”

“Thanks,” Danny said, feeling unaccountably touched at the extra effort Steve had gone through for him. He’d gotten so used to always being the caretaker, both at home and at his job, that he’d forgotten how nice it was to have someone take care of him for a change.

“I used oranges and limes for flavor… I know how you feel about pineapple on pizza, but I wasn’t sure how you liked it in juice. And I also have some coconut water for later. You know, if you like that.”

Danny couldn’t help but smile at Steve’s nervous wordiness, and he slipped his feet off the chair so he could plant them on the ground and face Steve. Impulsively reaching out and grabbing Steve’s forearm, Danny said, “Babe, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and not just today. You took a relative stranger, one you didn’t really like that much at first, into your home when I needed a place to live. You welcomed Grace without thought, gave me a job where I could actually save money, and now you’re having to deal with all this.” He gestured at himself with the hand holding the glass.

Steve grinned back at him, mimicking Danny’s position. “I might not have liked you at the beginning, but in my defense, you were this guy who’d invaded my crime scene –”

“Are we back to that? Because Manuela and the baby both might have died if I hadn’t gone in there.”

Steve opened his mouth to disagree when he suddenly got a thoughtful look on his face. “You said that day that she only had a few minutes. You meant that, didn’t you?”

Danny nodded.

“And that’s why you fell on your ass afterward.”

Feeling heat on his cheeks, Danny took his hand back as he said, “It wasn’t anything like this.”

“I should’ve made you get checked over by the EMTs,” Steve said.

“They would’ve decided that I was going through an adrenaline dump, but they’d have been concerned about the cramps. Remember, I’ve been doing this pretty much on my own since I was twenty-two.”

Steve got a look on his face, one Danny didn’t recognize. “Truthfully, how many times has it been close to this bad?”

Danny paused, running through the years in his mind. “Maybe… five or six times?” He shrugged. “If I couldn’t drive, I’d usually be able to grab a cab and get home. I told the cabbies that I’d been drinking a bit, and, well, they’re city cabbies. I tipped well, and they didn’t ask questions.”

Steve was now sporting a look that Danny had seen before, quite a few times in the last couple of days, actually. Danny put his drink on the glass table and pushed his chair as close to Steve’s as he could get. Their thighs touched slightly, and Danny had to stop himself from leaning in to take in more of Steve’s warmth. “Look out there.” He gestured toward the ocean. “The moonlight is reflecting off the water, and if you’re quiet,” he ignored Steve’s snort and said a little louder, “_if you’re quiet_, you can hear the rush of the water as the waves break onto the sand.”

Steve nudged his shoulder. “That was pretty poetic, Danno.”

Danny glared at Steve. “When did you start calling me that?”

Dragging a hand through his hair, Steve huffed out a breath. “Probably about the same time I found you underneath those trees.”

Steve’s words deflated all of the bluster Danny had planned, and he found himself softening, gazing into Steve’s eyes, losing the thread of the conversation. “I, uh.”

Steve’s eyes bounced from Danny’s eyes to his lips, and all of the times Danny had practiced restraint, all of the times he’d balled his hands into fists instead of shoving them into Steve’s hair and pulling the taller man’s lips to his, every time he’d watched Steve walk out of the ocean, water sluicing down the man’s absolutely perfect abs and never said a word, all of that restraint suddenly swelled inside him, and with a groan that he’d forever deny he made, he cupped Steve’s cheek and pressed the man’s lips against his own.

Steve’s lips were dry and softer than Danny’d expected. When they didn’t move, Danny thought frantically, _please please kiss me back. Don’t let this be a mistake_. Tilting his head, he pressed again, to no response. Finally, heart pounding so hard he could feel it throughout his body, Danny leaned back. He turned away, sighing. Suddenly, exhaustion seemed to press down on him, and he realized that in that one moment of weakness, he’d thrown it all away.

“Danny –”

“No, I’m sorry.” Danny stood, his eyes barely ghosting over Steve’s body before focusing on the lamp that thankfully threw Steve into silhouette. “I misread things. It won’t happen again. Let’s just, um, we’ll just pretend that nothing happened.” Turning, Danny rolled his eyes, disgusted with himself.

A warm hand wrapped around his wrist, but Danny couldn’t bring himself to turn around and see the look in Steve’s eyes. At best, he figured maybe tolerance or pity, but at worst… at worst he might have to gather Grace tonight and take her to some hotel somewhere, and he really didn’t want to have to explain to a sleepy seven year old why she was suddenly being ripped out of her bed in the middle of the night.

“Danny. Look at me.”

Calling himself all kinds of coward, Danny tugged at his hand. “Just let me go.”

“Look at me. Please. _Danno.”_

His name, said with such a pleading tone, had Danny turning before he had time to stop himself. His eyes searched Steve’s, trying to find the censure, the rejection. Steve pulled him back toward the chair, tried to make him sit, but Danny couldn’t allow himself to get that close again. “Just chalk it up to,” his brain searched for an excuse, “exhaustion. Yeah. I’m just –”

“Can you sit down?”

Danny knew that the moment he felt Steve pressed against him, he’d weaken and do something else they’d both regret. And he’d done enough tonight to weigh on his conscience. “I’m good standing, thanks.”

Steve huffed. “You think that I don’t – that I don’t want to kiss you. But.” After a brief glance at the ocean, Steve looked back at Danny. “Here’s the thing. I’ve only ever been with women.”

Danny’s heart sank, and he pulled halfheartedly at his arm.

“I’ve had… attractions, but I’ve never felt the need to act on them. Until you.”

Blinking, Danny stared at Steve. He must’ve misheard.

A corner of Steve’s mouth raised. “Even that first day, when you strutted into my hostage situation –”

Danny opened his mouth to refute that statement, but he closed it quickly when he realized that there were things going on that were more important at the moment.

Steve’s grin revealed that he knew Danny wanted to say something. “Even that first day, I felt something wrapped around my anger. I didn’t know what it was, or maybe I just wasn’t ready to acknowledge it at the time.”

“And you are now?” Danny wanted to ask, but he’d made it a lifelong policy not to ask questions when he wasn’t prepared for an answer he didn’t want to hear. “Steve –”

“Just hear me out.”

_You owe me that,_ Danny heard.

Danny sat back down, trying to stay as far away as possible without physically moving his chair away from Steve.

A hand on his cheek distracted him, the pressure turning his face toward Steve’s. The determination on Steve’s face made him hesitate. “You don’t have –”

The press of Steve’s lips against his shorted out his brain and made him drown out everything but the sensations of Steve’s lips against his, the pressure of his arms wrapped around Steve’s t-shirt, the quiet moans drifting through the air. Danny started feeling a little lightheaded but decided that he didn’t really need air once Steve slid his tongue into Danny’s mouth.

Eventually Steve pulled away, resting his forehead against Danny’s.

Once he regained his breath, Danny whispered, “Fantastic explanation.”

Steve huffed in laughter as he hugged Danny and pulled him closer. All in all, Danny decided, the day had turned out way better than he’d expected.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

The next week, Danny stood in the kitchen, whistling as he poured coffee in his to-go mug. Things had been really good, better than they’d been in a long time. He had two jobs that he enjoyed, coworkers who understood when he had to devote time to his doula duties, a place to live where his daughter was not only safe but thrived, actual friends, and a guy he’d been making out with pretty regularly.

They hadn’t done anything more than heavy petting sessions. That first night, Danny pulled away because his daughter was right upstairs, and then Five-0 had gotten a particularly tough case that had all of them running on steam. Steve had forced Danny to go home after the first couple of days, reminding him that he was a consultant and had pregnant women depending on him, but the others had remained. Danny had come in from time to time, bringing food and snacks, catching up on the details he’d missed, trying to offer some help.

They’d stolen some time, brief kisses as they passed each other, Danny on his way to an appointment, Steve running home for a shower and change of clothes. They hadn’t spoken about it, but until they both felt more comfortable, they were fine with taking it slow and keeping it to themselves. Plus, Steve’s revelation that he’d never been physical with another man meant that Danny didn’t want to rush him into anything until it felt right, natural. Until then, Danny was happy having Steve’s arms wrapped around him, Steve’s lips against his own and his tongue in Danny’s mouth. Oh yeah, that in and of itself was addictive. And when he and Steve finally got together in a bedroom for more than just sleeping, that might just make Danny spontaneously combust.

The clomping of heavy boots on the stairs had Danny turning with a smile. “I can’t believe you, Mr. GI Joe decided to sleep in this morning.”

“First of all, GI Joe was Army, Danno. Army.” Steve dropped a kiss on his lips before heading to the refrigerator. “Secondly, I went for a swim at four, but after my shower, I decided to take a little nap.”

“Slacker,” Danny teased, twisting his cap onto his mug. “Now that you’ve gotten your man, you up for eating at home tonight?” He tried to sound casual.

Obviously not buying it, Steve stopped pouring his orange juice and turned his attention to Danny. “You cooking?”

Danny nodded. “Mary left last night for her long weekend on Maui.”

“That’s right, her last hoorah as a non-mother, I think she said.” He got a look in his eye, the look Danny called his on-the-hunt face.

Danny found it incredibly sexy, but he wasn’t about to let Steve know that. Setting aside his glass, Steve started… what was that? Was that his sexy walk? He looked more like he needed to schedule a treatment with his chiropractor than a lover intent on making a move. Raising an eyebrow curiously and trying not to laugh, Danny watched.

“So, we’re alone then.” Steve braced an arm on either side of Danny.

“All alone in this big house. All weekend.”

“All weekend.” Steve smiled, leaning in for a kiss that started out fairly tame but got pretty hot pretty quickly.

By the time he heard the doorbell, Danny had pushed Steve onto a kitchen chair and had straddled him, grinding against Steve as they continued to kiss. They both ignored it, Danny groaning a little as Steve flexed his hands, pressing his fingers into both cheeks of Danny’s ass.

The bell rang again, and this time, Danny’s groan came from annoyance. “Just get rid of them and come right back,” Danny said, panting into Steve’s mouth.

They were so close that Danny felt Steve’s grin. “What makes you think it’s for me?”

Danny rolled his eyes, climbing off Steve’s lap and pressing his hand against his erection. He grinned when he noticed Steve’s eyes focused on his midsection. “You can’t get any of this unless you get rid of whoever’s at the door,” Danny reminded him.

Steve’s eyes jerked to Danny’s for a second, and Danny saw a brief flicker of indecision before the look was completely wiped away. “I’ll be right back.”

Danny felt his smile falter as Steve turned away. Maybe he was pushing too hard. Steve had seemed to be on the same page, but maybe Danny had misread things. Steve seemed to exude confidence in every part of his life, strutting into gunfights and striding into rough waters like he was assured of his place in the world. Sometimes it made Danny forget that he was human, just like the rest of them. He’d admitted that he didn’t have experience with men, and Danny should have remembered that. Steve had become his best friend, and the last thing he wanted was to force something on the SEAL that made him uncomfortable.

Realizing that an inordinate amount of time had passed and still no Steve, Danny poked his head around the corner to find Catherine plastered to the man Danny himself had just been kissing seconds earlier.

Humiliation flashing through his body, he felt the pang in his heart and tried to catch his breath. Anger and shame coursed through him, and it took everything he had to turn around and climb the stairs to his room. He sat on the bed, taking large breaths, eyes closed, trying to contain the pain. Pressing his palms against his eyes, he tried to marshal his thoughts, but everything seemed to be flying around inside his brain, and he couldn’t seem to reach out and touch anything.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, but his cell phone started vibrating in his pocket, and he pulled it out to read a text from one of his clients, telling him that she was running late to meet him. Answering her – which took much longer than it should’ve, but he thought he’d done miraculously well considering how hard his hands were shaking – he asked to reschedule. Realizing that it would be best for all concerned if he just declared a wash for the day, he pulled up his calendar and started canceling the rest of his appointments. Less than fifteen minutes later, he was a free man.

Tossing his phone onto the bed, he stood and began to pace. He couldn’t stay here, not with that going on downstairs and probably eventually upstairs in Steve’s room… Danny bolted down the stairs, tore out to the lanai, and practically ran down the path around the house before hopping into his car and peeling down the street.

He didn’t put on his seat belt for miles.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Steve stood, completely shocked, as Catherine’s lips pressed against his. His arms automatically wrapped around hers, and he kissed her back, but his mind was trying to figure out how he came to be kissing Catherine when he’d just been enveloped by Danny. After a few seconds, he realized that Catherine’s kisses didn’t seem to pull up the feelings he’d just had in the kitchen. She was a skilled lover; they’d been together long enough to know just how to get the other off. But with Danny, it was more.

Kissing Danny didn’t just make him want more, it made him want Danny. Just Danny. Only Danny. And it just wasn’t about the sex, although he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little nervous about the details there. But he trusted Danny, and he wanted Danny not just for a night. He wanted to wake in the morning with the man snuggled beside him. He wanted to sit across from him in the mornings and tease Danny about his bedhead. He wanted to grab Danny with one hand and Grace with the other and teach them to love the island as much as he did.

Taking Catherine by the arms and pulling her away from him turned out to be easier than he expected.

“What’s wrong?” Catherine asked.

“I can’t do this,” Steve said. Danny always teased him about his lack of subtlety, and he suddenly wished Danny were beside him to help him explain it to Catherine. It wouldn’t be fair to either Danny or Catherine, but that didn’t mean that Steve couldn’t wish for it all the same.

“Is Mary here? You said she was a grown –”

“It’s not about Mary,” Steve said. He sighed, running a hand over his face. “I’m kind of… seeing someone.”

Catherine took a step back, eyeballing him. “I’ve only been gone, what, a month? How serious could it be?”

That was the question. Catherine was the longest non-familial relationship he’d ever had, and it wasn’t what most people would call traditional. It seemed to work for them, but now it felt dissatisfying. He wasn’t sure if he could explain it to her, since he couldn’t quite seem to wrap his mind around it himself. “I’m not sure. I just know that I want to give it a chance.”

Catherine shook her head. “You don’t do well in traditional relationships. Commitment just isn’t your thing.”

A flare of anger surged inside his chest. “We’ve been friends for a long time, but don’t think you know everything about me.”

“Come on, Steve,” Catherine said, stepping forward and cupping his cheek with her hand. “We’re perfect together.” She nipped at his chin. “I know how to make you feel good,” she kissed one side of his mouth, “you know how to make me feel good,” she kissed the other corner.

Steve took both of Catherine’s hands in his and stepped back. “That’s just physical. For once, I feel… more.”

“But you don’t want more!” Catherine pulled her arms away and folded them. “You don’t want commitment, remember? ‘I can’t imagine settling down with just one person, Catherine’. Remember when you told me that? What did you say when we went to Bull Frog’s wedding? ‘I bet ten bucks that it won’t last five years. The idea of being tied to one person forever sounds like hell on earth.’ ”

Steve thought about Danny, the way the man perpetually managed to get under his skin while at the same time making him fight back a grin. He awoke in the morning looking forward to seeing Danny, anticipated his presence in the office. With Danny, every day was going to be an adventure. “This is different.”

“Don’t come knocking on my door when things don’t work out,” Catherine said.

Stunned, Steve watched her wipe a tear from her eye. “We agreed this was casual.”

“_You_ said it was casual,” Catherine corrected him. “I went along with it, because I knew that it was the only way I could have you.”

Steve stared at Catherine. “I’m sorry; I had no idea.”

“Do you know how difficult it is to wrangle leave every time I’m in port in Hawaii? _Everyone_ wants leave in Hawaii!”

Steve had never seen Catherine so angry, and he felt guilty for leading her on; the fact that he hadn’t known he was doing it didn’t make her feel any better or him feel less culpable. “I’m sorry,” he said again. He knew it sounded lame, but he really was. “I always thought that eventually you’d find someone, and we’d just become friends without the benefits.”

“Actually, I kind of thought that too,” Catherine gave a short laugh through her tears.

Her reaction gave him hope. “Maybe someday we can be friends again.”

“Maybe,” Catherine said, turning from him, “but not right now.” She turned and grabbed the bag she’d tossed on the floor by the door.

“Are you going to be okay?” Steve asked. “I could drive you somewhere.” He saw her shoulders straighten. “Or… call you a cab,” he added softly.

“No, I’ll be fine.” Catherine said, without turning around. She opened the door and in seconds was gone.

Steve took a deep breath, suddenly exhausted. He’d just ruined a relationship he’d prized for years, one that had seen him through countless nights of loneliness and times when he just needed to get out of his head or go crazy. Had he just made the biggest mistake of his life?

He thought back to the feel of Danny in his arms the last few days, the stolen kisses, the teasing and caresses. And suddenly, he wasn’t worried about taking the next step. Danny knew what to do, and he trusted Danny. It was that simple.

Suddenly remembering that he’d left Danny in the kitchen for a lot longer than he’d planned, he turned and entered the room, only to find it empty. He didn’t need to be a detective to realize that maybe Catherine wasn’t the only person hurting right now.

Looking at his watch, Steve couldn’t believe it wasn’t even eight o’clock in the morning yet. And he needed to get to work. He took the stairs two at a time, grabbing his phone off his dresser and immediately hit number one on his speed dial. He followed the ringing to Danny’s door, his relief making him lean against the door. He disconnected his phone and knocked softly. “Danny. Can I come in? I need to explain a few things.” He waited a few seconds before knocking again. “Look, stop sulking and talk to me.” He began to frown, worry creeping in. “I know you can’t stay quiet for very long, so you might as well just give it up now.” When he didn’t get Danny’s usual bluster, Steve opened the door to find Danny’s cell phone resting in the middle of his bed.

In his empty room.

“Well, shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there, folks! There will be one more chapter after this and an epilogue.


	12. Come Together, Right Now…

Steve dragged himself into the house at ten that night, exhausted and unhappy. The day that had started out with such promise had crumbled into dust. Catherine’s arrival started the downslide; Danny’s disappearance continued it. They hadn’t gotten any new cases , so they’d all stayed in the office and caught up on paperwork.

Steve hated paperwork.

He’d hoped that Danny would stop by at sometime to check in with them or bring them lunch as he did a lot of the time, but Danny never showed. Eventually, Kono went out and brought back Chinese, but it all tasted like sand.

At five, Chin ducked his head in Steve’s office. “We’re gonna head out.” He paused, came in, and sat down. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Steve gave him a sickly smile. “Just, you know.” He gestured toward the piles of paper on his desk.

Chin smiled, then became serious. “Did you and Danny have a fight?” Steve opened his mouth, but Chin cut him off. “You know Kono and I like him and trust him. And frankly, you’ve been a much happier person since you two got together.”

“And when was that?” Steve challenged. Chin’s air of wisdom usually brought out either Steve’s awe or fear, but this time he felt a little angry and maybe, to be honest, a little defensive.

Chin wasn’t remotely intimidated. “The night we learned about his family gift.”

That deflated Steve, because, yeah, that was it.

“Although you two had been dancing around each other pretty much since you met.” Chin stood. “Obviously, you don’t need to talk to us about it, but just know that we’re here for you. Okay?”

Steve nodded. Chin was almost out the door when Steve called him back. “Thanks,” he said, his voice a little gruff.

Chin smiled and joined Kono at the elevators. Steve saw their lips move, Kono smiling and waving at him before they disappeared.

Steve didn’t stay much longer, choosing instead to go home. He’d halfheartedly hoped that Danny would be at the house when he got there, but he wasn’t surprised to see the driveway empty.

A long swim, a short shower, and an unsatisfying salad later, Steve sat in the living room, ignoring the game he’d found on the television. It seemed strange to him that just months ago he’d been living in this house alone, perfectly fine. But now without Mary and Danny, it felt empty.

He managed to make it until a little after ten when he decided that if he couldn’t be comfortable at home, he might as well return to work and complete a little more paperwork.

He stepped out of the elevator, not bothering to turn on any of the lights until he got into his office, and then he only turned on the lamp by his desk. He’d been working for about half an hour when he thought he heard a noise, something quiet. He looked around and listened for a few seconds. The sound didn’t repeat itself, and Steve returned to his paperwork. A few minutes later, he heard it again. This time, he walked out of his office, noting for the first time that Danny’s door was open. Certain the door had been closed all day, he poked his head in, all the time telling himself that the cleaners had probably just forgotten to close it.

But then he saw Danny, sleeping on the sofa, clothes exploding out of a duffle bag beside him. It only took him a few seconds to put it all together: the duffle bag, the towel hanging off of the guest chair, the phone he’d last seen on Danny’s bed now on the desk. This must’ve been where Danny stayed the last time Catherine came to visit. Feeling even worse than he had all day, Steve picked up the guest chair, placed it close to the sofa and sat down, staring at Danny as he slept.

Even unconscious, Danny still moved. With all of the people in the house after they’d rescued Danny and Grace, Steve hadn’t been able to just sit and stare at Danny in his bedroom – in his bed – like he’d longed to do. He supposed it was kind of creepy, staring at someone like this, but it was the only chance he’d gotten, and he was going to take it. Danny was a man of constant motion, his arms and mouth working as he strutted across the room, hands in his pockets, arms waving in the air, fingers grabbing Steve by the shoulder.

The lines on Danny’s face didn’t dissipate with slumber; in fact, they seemed more pronounced, and Steve wondered if he were at fault for Danny’s restlessness.

Sighing quietly, Steve leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He’d tried to do the right thing but made quite a few mistakes along the way and ended up hurting some of the people he cared about most. And now he was starting to second-guess himself. Maybe he was reading too much into what he and Danny had started. Maybe Danny didn’t feel it the way Steve did.

But Steve opened his eyes, looked at Danny shifting uncomfortably, and knew that it was a lie. Danny was the living, breathing embodiment of commitment. Sure, he’d had a fling with Philippe, but the physical therapist had described it more like a relationship that had just run its course.

But what did Steve know of commitment? His dad had shipped him away when his mom had died, and he was only just getting to know his sister now.

Most people would think that over fifteen years with the Navy proved his ability to commit, but that was filled with different missions in different locations, different protocols with different teams. Sure, it was under one umbrella, but pretty much every day was different. That didn’t feel like commitment; it was adventure and duty. He’d signed up for it; he couldn’t very well just decide on a whim to walk away.

And he knew what to expect for the most part. He trained and studied, outlined strategies and implemented them. First he just followed orders, then he started giving them. It was all pretty much cut and dry.

But this personal stuff… he was totally out of his depth. He couldn’t look at a map and formulate a plan that would give everyone what they wanted. There weren’t any weapons he could utilize, no clear-cut bad guy to hunt down. It was just him, fumbling his way around, hurting everyone who cared about him.

He sat there wallowing in his own self-pity until a small groan from Danny brought him back, reminding him that he’d told Catherine the truth. He wanted Danny. And maybe he’d mess this up too, but he’d also learned in the Navy that sometimes a man couldn’t move forward without making himself vulnerable.

And maybe he was being a little selfish. Danny brought life into his house, more energy and excitement than had been there since before Steve’s mom had died. He filled a hole that Steve hadn’t realized existed inside him.

Tired of his unaccustomed indecision, Steve stood and prodded Danny shoulder. “Danno.”

Danny didn’t move.

Another push. “Danno, wake up.”

Danny frowned, rubbed his cheek against his pillow, and settled.

Muttering about how Danny would’ve sucked out in the field, Steve grabbed Danny’s shoulder and shook it hard.

Danny shot up on the sofa, blinking rapidly until he focused on Steve. “Shit! What?”

“Grab your gear. Let’s go home.”

Danny continued to blink at him, blanket pooled around his hips. He wore a threadbare t-shirt that showed off his chest and shoulders quite nicely, Steve noted before dragging his attention back to Danny’s face.

“You’re not spending the rest of the night here.”

“Wha’r y’doin’ here?” Danny rubbed at his eyes as he swung his legs off the sofa.

“Evidently dragging your ass home so you can get some decent sleep.” Steve stood. “Let’s go.”

Danny looked up at him, and for a second, he saw happiness and warmth. He started to grin back when Danny’s smile faded, his eyes filling with pain and hurt. “No.”

“Danny –” Steve reached out.

“Don’t.” Danny angled his body out of Steve’s reach and stretched back out on the couch, turning his back to Steve. “Go home, be with Catherine.”

“I have to explain –”

“Sleeping here!” Danny dug his body deeper into the cushions. “Close the door on your way out.”

Steve stood there, watching Danny take deep breaths, intent on waiting him out, and he recognized the moment. This was him lying on his stomach, concealed underneath some brush, MK11 ready, deciding whether to take the shot or stand down. Do or die time.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Danny lay on his side, trying to restrain himself. To be honest, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. Yell, definitely. Scream, absolutely. Punch Steve out, sure, but he knew he’d get his ass handed to him on a platter. Grab Steve and beg him to choose Danny over Catherine, well, maybe. But he knew he wasn’t going to do any of those things. He did have his pride. Maybe it had dwindled to the density of a thread, but it still existed. All he had to do was feign sleep until Steve left.

Only thing was, Steve wasn’t leaving. Danny could still sense him standing beside the sofa, could almost feel his breaths. Catherine had to be waiting for him at home. Why was he _here?_

Suddenly he felt himself jerked back and lifted into the air. The next thing he knew, his breath was pushed out of his lungs, and he found himself hanging upside down, staring at Steve’s spectacular ass. “What the fuck? Steve, put me down!”

“We’re going home.”

“You can go home; I’m staying right the fuck here!” Danny tried to kick, but Steve just tightened his grip on Danny’s legs and smacked his ass as he turned toward the elevators. Danny took two deep breaths. “This is your last chance. Put. Me. Down.” He heard the beep as Steve pressed for the elevator, and whatever reservations he’d had about what he was about to do disappeared at the thought that everyone downstairs would see him being carried out like a sack of potatoes. That was unacceptable.

He only debated for one more second, knowing that his options would be limited once they were inside the elevator. Using both hands, he managed to awkwardly hit Steve’s lower back, dropping the SEAL to his knees.

To his credit, Steve didn’t drop Danny, although he did loosen his grip a little, giving Danny space to try to wiggle out of his grasp. Danny wasn’t looking forward to falling, but at least he’d lowered the space by sending Steve down to his knees. “Danny, stop –”

Danny wasn’t going to stop until he was lying back down on that sofa and Steve was off… well, Danny didn’t want to think about what Steve was going to be doing.

After all, Danny had no hold over Steve whatsoever.

“Damn it, Danny!” Eventually, Steve had to let Danny go, and Danny fell to the ground.

Turned out, hitting the ground from that distance sucked just as much as he thought it would.

He only had a second to regroup before Steve was on him, flipping him to his back, straddling him and pinning him to the ground.

“I said, stop it.” Steve glared down at him, so close that their shallow breaths seemed to mingle.

Steve was so beautiful. Those eyes that drooped just enough to give him that faintly sleepy look when he blinked, the cut cheekbones, those lips that Danny’d gotten to know so well…

But, Danny reminded himself, he was there to provide entertainment while Catherine wasn’t around, and that just wasn’t who he was. Steve and Catherine might enjoy their friends with benefits, but it just made Danny feel cheap and unworthy. When he loved, Danny did it with his whole heart, and he just couldn’t accept less. “Get off me.”

“Only if you promise to listen to me,” Steve insisted.

Knowing better than to try to free himself, Danny finally sighed, then nodded.

Steve looked at him for a few seconds, as if trying to convince himself that Danny wasn’t going to try to get away, and then slowly eased back.

Immediately, Danny scooted away from Steve, standing and automatically straightening his hair. He turned and headed toward Steve’s office.

“Where’re you going?” Steve asked.

“Your office.” Danny explained without looking back. There was no way he was heading to Steve’s house. The last thing he needed was to have to sit there across from Catherine so close to Steve that she was practically on his lap. Steve wanted to explain, he could do so in his own office so that Danny, who would hopefully still have his consulting job long enough to come up with another way to replace at least some of the income, could catch another few hours of sleep.

Then another thought hit Danny. How was he going to explain all of this to Grace? She’d gotten used to seeing Steve, Chin, and Kono regularly. Maybe Chin and Kono would meet him and Grace sometimes for dinner. It wouldn’t replace Steve’s absence, but at least Grace would have some sort of consistency. And so would Danny.

Danny sat in the guest chair, leaning back with his ankle over a knee and watched Steve sit down behind his desk. He knew he looked defensive, with his arms crossed, but hell, he was _feeling_ defensive. He’d handed Steve his heart, and the SEAL had tossed it over his shoulder when he saw Catherine. Just looking at Steve now hurt way more than any doula reaction he’d ever felt.

After a few seconds of silence, Danny finally looked at Steve. “You wanted to talk. Talk.”

Steve sighed, getting up and walking around his desk to lean against it, arms braced against the desktop. “Are you going to listen?”

Danny opened his arms wide in an ‘I’m here aren’t I?’ gesture.

“Okay.” Steve looked around, obviously marshaling his thoughts. “I… um. Catherine and I’ve been, well, friends for a long time.”

Danny didn’t want to hear about that. “Thanks for the information.” He stood.

“No.” Steve put out a hand toward Danny but stopped before he made contact, dropping his arm. “You promised to listen.”

“I’m really not in the mood to hear fun stories about how you and Catherine are perfect friends with benefits and how it’s so wonderful for you both. You’re the perfect match. No commitment, no ties, and lots of fun. I got it.” He pointed toward the door. “Can I go now?”

“That’s the way it was,” Steve said. “But it’s not – things have changed.”

Danny longed to ask, “What things?” But he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Can you just sit down? Please?”

Danny sighed and sat back down, waiting for Steve to speak.

Steve seemed to take Danny’s silence as encouragement, because he continued, “I met you, and suddenly Mary didn’t just have an in-house doula, but I had a friend. And with this friend came a perfect little girl. The silence in my house was replaced with laughter and toys and coffee makers, and it became a home again.

“You burrowed your way into my life, and one day I woke up and found that I wanted… I wanted to keep you there. You looked after me when I was hurt, and I realized that I wanted to be there for you when you needed me.” Steve took a deep breath.

One part of Danny got up and danced a jig at Steve’s words, but his heart, still bruised, hadn’t heard anything that really helped. “I’m glad I was able to help fill this… this void you had in your life, but I can’t be…” Danny searched for the right words, “just your friend. I can’t sit there and watch you and Catherine…” Danny sighed. “I’m sorry if I pushed you toward something you didn’t want. I’m sorry I have all these…” he moved a hand in a loose circle in front of him, “for you, and I can’t just let them go or pretend that they don’t matter. I’m not that guy.” He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face, forcing back the sting in his eyes.

“Danny, you didn’t push me into anything I didn’t want.”

Danny kept pressing against his eyes. He was just so tired. He’d realized that the past few weeks, he’d been waiting for this, waiting for Steve to come to his senses or for Catherine to come back into the picture. On a subconscious level, he’d known Steve was going to walk away. He’d just pretended for a while, and now it was time to face reality.

“Not yet,” he said. “We’ve what? Made out a little bit? I saw it in your eyes this morning; you don’t have to lie to me.”

“Okay,” Steve said as he leaned forward, hands clasped between his knees. It brought him a little closer than Danny was comfortable with, but he found himself unable to lean away. “I told you a while back that until you, I’d always been with women.” He waited for Danny’s nod before continuing. “I’ll admit to being a little…”

“Scared?” Danny offered.

“Wary,” Steve corrected with a small smile. “Wary of going to that next level. Part of it is that I’m unused to being in situations where I’m completely in the dark.”

“You mean the SEALs didn’t offer special classes in man-on-man love?” Danny was able to joke.

Steve huffed a chuckle. “That’s one class I can definitely say never made the curriculum.” He grew serious again. “The other part is that I know you, know that you don’t take any of this lightly. Being with you like that meant that I was all in.”

Danny felt himself tightening up, preparing for the rest.

“What Catherine helped me realize today was that I’m ready for that next step. I’ve been all in for a while; I just didn’t know it.”

Danny frowned. “How did Catherine help you with that?” He just couldn’t picture the woman sitting Steve down and having a discussion about it.

“She kissed me, and I realized that I wanted to be kissing you. I’ll always treasure the time I had with her, and she’ll always have a special place in my heart, but Danny.” Steve bent down, making sure he had Danny’s full attention. “You are the one who’s in my heart.”

Danny blinked at him, wondering if he were still asleep in his office and dreaming all this. He watched as Steve knelt in front of him, and if in slow motion, cupped Danny’s face in his hands and pressed his lips against Danny’s.

His eyes drifting closed, Danny allowed himself to get swept up in the kiss, opening his mouth, sliding his tongue against Steve’s. He allowed Steve to pull him off the chair, and the next thing he knew, he was lying on his back on the floor by Steve’s desk. Danny ran his hands down Steve’s back as Steve assaulted his mouth, and Danny felt himself focused on the firm pressure of Steve’s lips, his chest, his thighs. Steve pressed his groin against Danny’s, and Danny threw his head back, taking a gulp of air with his groan.

“Like that, do you?” Steve repeated the movement, and Danny opened his legs so he could cradle Steve, feeling Steve’s hardness rubbing against his through their clothing.

“For someone with no experience in this, you’re doing remarkably well,” Danny managed to gasp.

Steve chuckled and ground against Danny again.

“Stop, stop,” Danny said while another part of him screamed, _no, don’t stop!_

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked, his lips moving to suck on Danny’s neck as he continued his grind.

“We’re in the floor in your office,” Danny protested, even as he tilted his head to give Steve better access.

“Yeah, so?” Steve sucked hard at one spot, and Danny knew he’d have a big old hickey there tomorrow. He couldn’t find it in himself to care at the moment.

“It’s not professional,” Danny said. What he really wanted to say was that he didn’t want any of their firsts to be on the floor in an office building, but it sounded sappy even in his own head. Contrary to the way Steve was acting, all of this was new to him, and Danny wanted it all to be comfortable, if not a little special, for him.

Steve’s attention wavered from Danny’s neck, and he looked Danny in the eye, suddenly looking a little wary. “Am I moving too fast?” Danny heard the words but knew that Steve was also wondering if he were doing something wrong.

“Babe, you’re doing everything right,” Danny assured him, “but I’d rather continue this someplace where we wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught the next morning with our pants down around our ankles.”

“Who says we’re gonna be here tomorrow morning?” Steve asked.

“By the time I’m done with you, you’re not going to have the energy to move,” Danny promised.

“Then you can be in charge of getting us out of here,” Steve suggested.

“I know you, and you never refuse a challenge. You’re already at full-on grope mode, so I’m not going to be any help either.”

Steve grinned proudly, and Danny rolled his eyes. Pushing Steve off him, Danny stood, adjusted himself slightly so his erection wasn’t as painful, and headed to his office.

“Where’re you going?” Steve called out, a hint of worry in his voice.

“Gotta grab my bag. I’ll meet you back at home.”

“I’ll wait, follow you there.”

Danny shook his head as he grabbed his stuff. He was tempted to issue a challenge about the first one to make it home, but he knew how Steve drove, and as much as he railed about living in Hawaii, siccing a hot, sexed-up SEAL to race on their roads wasn’t anything he’d do even to his worst enemy.

_HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0 HFive-0_

Now that he was certain what he wanted and had Danny on board, Steve felt impatience rolling through his body. He’d thought he’d lose his mind when Danny pulled back at the office, but he saw the truth in Danny’s eyes. For all his bluster, Danny was a romantic at heart, who tended to think of everyone else before himself. So while Steve was definitely planning on rocking Danny’s world so hard that the other man would have trouble getting up in the morning, he thought Danny’s reticence had more to do with making Steve as comfortable as possible.

What Danny didn’t realize was that any hesitations on Steve’s part had dissolved once he realized that all he wanted was Danny. He might not be familiar with the mechanics, but Danny was experienced, and he trusted Danny. So it was all good.

Steve pulled into the driveway before Danny – he still knew a few shortcuts that Danny obviously hadn’t figured out yet – and leaned against the car, ankles and arms crossed, waiting for the other man. He knew Danny wanted him, but a little part of him worried that maybe Danny would change his mind, decide he wanted something different or someone more experienced. He knew he was being an idiot, but logic didn’t seem to have much power at the moment. He didn’t relax until Danny’s car pulled to stop beside his.

“Waiting for someone?” Danny asked, smiling, as he got out of the car.

Steve shrugged, smiling back so hard his cheeks hurt. “Just enjoying the night.”

“Nut,” Danny said fondly, nudging Steve with his shoulder as they walked to the door together.

Steve pulled it open, gesturing for Danny to go first, but the other man just stood there and stared at him. Finally, Steve asked, “What?”

“You didn’t lock the door.”

“I was distracted.”

“Locking the door should be second nature, like closing the door. You close the door, you lock the door.”

“You worried someone’s going to steal your crappy, stained coffeemaker?”

“I’ll have you know that that exact brand’s predecessor made its way across the ocean and had been providing me with excellent cups of coffee longer than most other newer models until right before I moved in with you,” Danny said, poking Steve in the chest with a finger. “But there’s also your stereo system, that überexpensive television you have…”

“Mrs. Lipnicki across the street is our one-woman neighborhood watch. If she saw anyone suspicious hanging around here, she’d call me and then the police.”

Danny chuckled, walking into the house. “She’d call you before the police?”

“You steal from me, you can believe that I’m much more dangerous,” Steve promised, closing the door behind him.

He’d kept on the lamp in the living room, and it surrounded Danny’s body with an unearthly glow. Suddenly impatient, Steve grabbed Danny around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. It was wet and sloppy and dirty and absolutely fantastic. By the time he’d pulled up for air, Steve realized he had Danny pressed against the wall. A little embarrassed, he took a step back.

“Where’re you going?” Danny protested, pulling him closer. “You plant a kiss like that on someone, you better prepare to back it up.”

“Bedroom?” Steve suggested.

“Sounds perfect,” Danny agreed. “But we have to do something to mark the fact that we have the house to ourselves. He grinned, unbuttoning Steve’s shirt and letting it slide off and fall to the floor. Steve bent to pick it up, but Danny stopped him, pulling him back to standing. “Leave it.”

Steve understood what Danny was trying to do, but he’d lived most of his life surrounded by order. Leaving a shirt crumpled on the floor felt wrong. “Let me just – ”

Danny cupped him, and Steve almost moaned at the delicious warmth through his cargo pants.

Suddenly the shirt wasn’t as important. “I’ll just get it later.”

Danny’s naughty smile had Steve’s heart beating even faster. “Race you upstairs.”

Without much effort, Steve managed to tackle Danny on the stairs, sneaking a kiss through Danny’s laugh and unfastening Danny’s belt. He flipped Danny over, starting to unfasten the buttons on his shirt, tempted to just rip the thing open. “What do you have against t-shirts?” He complained. “This is gonna take forever.”

“I’m sorry I need to look professional,” Danny said, pulling Steve down for a kiss.

Fortunately, Steve was good at multitasking. Sure, he slowed down a bit, because the rest of the world tended to disappear when Danny kissed him, but he also had his mind on the endgame. And he wanted Danny naked yesterday. Steve got distracted by Danny’s exposed skin, running his hand down Danny’s chest, pinching one of Danny’s nipples. Eventually, he ended up at the top of Danny’s slacks, unfastening the button and lowering the zipper.

Danny moaned into Steve’s mouth. “Bedroom,” he reminded Steve gruffly. “I’m too damn old to fornicate on the stairs.” He turned and started crawling up the stairs.

“Fornicate?” Steve laughed, grabbing Danny’s pants and pulling them off the man, leaving Danny in his boxers and socks.

Danny stopped, looking down at himself. “Boxers and socks. So very sexy.”

“Absolutely sexy,” Steve said, meaning every word. Steve wasn’t sure how he’d managed it, but Danny – the man who claimed to hate the sun and the beach – was perfectly tanned perfection. Steve ran a hand down Danny’s leg, the hairiness not unexpected, just different, he decided. Besides, it was Danny. Everything about Danny was sexy.

Danny managed to get away and climb up the stairs, laughing as he disappeared into Steve’s bedroom. Steve grinned and chased after him, getting a pair of boxers in the face as he came through the door. “Nice,” he muttered, throwing them on the floor.

“Now look who’s all comfortable with making a mess,” Danny teased.

Steve froze, staring at Danny lying naked on the bed, hands behind his head, ankles crossed, like he didn’t have a care in the world. His erection belied that fact, however.

As he unfastened his own belt and pulled off the rest of his clothes, Steve couldn’t take his eyes off of Danny. He got a little caught up when he realized he had to take off his shoes and felt the heat rise over his face.

Danny laughed and crawled to the edge of the bed where Steve sat, untying his shoes. “Need a hand?”

“I got it,” Steve said, embarrassed. He’d always considered himself somewhat suave in the bedroom, and he’d never pictured his first time with Danny would find him forgetting to take off his own damn shoes.

“Hey,” Danny said, moving to sit beside Steve.

Danny’s focus on him made Steve feel even more ridiculous.

“Hey,” Danny repeated, putting his arm on Steve’s hand. “It’s just us here.” He paused a moment, before adding, “I understand if you’re having second thoughts.”

“What? No!” Shoes forgotten, Steve turned toward Danny, pressing a palm against his cheek. “I want this. In my mind, I’d always been…” he smiled wryly, “smoother.”

“Smooth Dog,” Danny teased, shocking Steve. Before Steve could ask, Danny said, “I was a detective once. You think I didn’t check up on the people spending time with my daughter?”

Steve noticed that Danny didn’t mention moving in with a stranger, but that wasn’t the train of thought he wanted to focus on at the moment. Pulling off his shoes, he stood, smiling slowly. “I think I’ve fallen a little behind.” He felt a little self -conscious as Danny sat back on his heels and watched Steve finish pulling off his clothes. The only thing that made it easier was the fact that Danny was completely naked, hard, and absolutely comfortable.

In fact, he was beautiful. Steve focused on the thought that the sooner he got naked the sooner he could run his hands all over Danny’s body, and he fell on the bed in seconds, knocking Danny backward until their chests pressed against each other. Steve raised up on his forearms, kissing Danny, loving the feeling of Danny’s warm skin against his.

“So, no second thoughts, then,” Danny laughed around Steve’s mouth.

“I’ll show you second thoughts,” Steve said, knowing as soon as the words passed his mouth how they made no sense.

Danny, bless him, only responded by doing some sort of wiggle with his hips that rubbed their erections together, and Steve felt a jolt of electricity through his entire body.

Steve moaned into Danny’s mouth. “Do that again.”

“What, this?” Danny wiggled again, almost making Steve black out. Danny rolled over until they were lying side-by-side, facing each other. His eyes still on Steve’s, he reached down, smearing their pre-cum in his hand before wrapping his fingers around them both.

Steve had to close his eyes. The only hand that rough that had ever touched him so intimately had been his own, but this was so much better. And the friction of rubbing against Danny created its own slice of pleasure. In no time at all he felt the familiar tightening. He wanted it to last longer, but he and Danny had slowly been climbing toward this for so long that he just couldn’t hold it back any longer. “Danny, I’m –”

Danny pressed his forehead against Steve’s and whispered, “Come for me.”

And Steve did, with a moan that echoed throughout his entire body. Eventually he opened his eyes and found Danny, eyes closed, hand working furiously.

“Let me,” Steve said, reaching down and taking Danny in his hand. Doing it from a different point of view was awkward, but he knew what felt good to him, and from what he could tell, Danny wasn’t so different. He watched Danny’s face, fascinated with the way the man panted, the stubble across his chin, the lashes as he closed his eyes. It hit him that this beautiful man was all his just as Danny came apart, head thrown back, the tendons in his neck tight.

That’s when Steve knew that while his decision had been black and white all along, his thing with Danny had shades of forever all over it.

And that was just fine with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All that's left is the epilogue...


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this story was only the twelve chapters. But simplyn2deep mentioned that it would be nice to learn a little about Mary’s childbirth experience, and I realized that I’d had a little bit of tunnel vision and forgotten about poor Mary's condition. So this chapter is entirely due to my wonderful alpha/beta. Thanks again, simplyn2deep!!

“How long does it take to have a baby?”

Steve continued to pace, ignoring Chin’s almost inaudible sigh and Kono’s louder eye roll. They’d been there for seven hours, and no one had come out to give them a stat rep.

Yes, he knew that women had babies every day. And yes, he knew that first babies could take longer than others, although that wasn’t always the case. He’d studied firsthand accounts of early labor, active labor, and late-stage delivery and could recite the latest data from the NIH. Most importantly, he knew that Danny was in there and would make sure everything was okay with mother and baby.

The funniest thing was that up until three weeks ago, Steve hadn’t thought much about the actual birth outside of making sure Mary didn’t ask him to be present in the delivery room.

And then he was introduced to John Braxton Hicks one Saturday night when Mary gasped and grabbed her belly while she was lying on the sofa. Steve had walked through the door minutes earlier after a run and was still standing there, having gotten caught up in the rom-com she was watching. He crouched beside her, cursing himself for all of the excuses he’d made to avoid her Lamaze classes. Hands hovering nervously, he was trying to decide what to do when his phone rang. Keeping his eyes on his sister, he pulled it out of his shorts pocket, barking out a “What?”

“Steve, I need you to stop panicking.” Danny’s voice was way calmer than Steve thought it should be given the circumstances.

“I’m not panicking!” Realizing he was shouting, he forced himself to speak in a quieter tone. “Mary’s in labor. Am I supposed to bring her to the hospital, or should I call for an ambulance?”

“What she’s having is a Braxton Hicks contraction.”

“I don’t care what it’s called – ”

“It means she’s not going into labor.”

That didn’t help. “So what does it mean, then?”

“Is she still lying on the sofa?”

Steve remembered that she’d been lying there when Danny’d left to go pick up Grace. “Yeah.”

“First I want you to have her sit up a little bit. I told her to move around some, but I’m sure she ignored that.”

Steve rested the phone between his ear and his shoulder and looked at Mary. “Danny says these are Brax – ” He frowned, trying to remember.

“Braxton Hicks?” Mary asked, hand still on her belly.

“Yeah. He wants you to sit up.”

“It hurts when I sit up.”

“She says it hurts when she sits up,” Steve relayed.

Danny sighed one of his put-upon sighs usually brought on by something Steve had done. He would’ve smiled at the fact that it wasn’t his fault this time if he weren’t so worried about Mary and the baby. “I want you to hand the phone to Mary and go into the kitchen and get her some water. Then I want you to make her some orange juice with the oranges I bought the other day.”

“From scratch?” That would take a long time, time he could spend getting her to the hospital.

“Yes. Steve, it’ll be fine. I promise. Grace and I are almost home.”

“Okay,” Steve said, handing over the phone before heading into the kitchen like an obedient child, hating the feeling of being of of his depth.

Twenty minutes later, Mary was sitting up on the sofa, both feet on the floor, sipping on the orange juice. Grace rested next to her, holding on to the glass of water.

Steve stood at the lanai doors, blinking when he felt Danny press against him. “I didn’t know about Braxton Hicks.”

He felt Danny’s shrug. “Why would you?”

“I’d have known if I’d come to the Lamaze classes.”

“Steve, believe me when I say that absolutely no one wanted you at those classes. You would’ve run into a drug dealer trying to share in the miracle of life and turned the place into a crime scene.” Danny stepped in front of Steve, breaking his view of Mary and forcing him to pay attention to the man in front of him. “Babe, that’s why you have me here.”

Steve couldn’t help but smile at the man softly. “That’s why you came. It’s not why you stayed.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “The great sex was supposed to be unspoken.”

“When have you ever left anything unspoken?”

Of course that started Danny on a small rant, one Steve knew was more to distract him than anything else, and he appreciated it.

But after that, he researched any time he wasn’t on a case. He talked to mothers shopping in grocery stores about their experiences, questioned them at crime scenes about what they wished they’d known, took aside cop moms and asked them about things the articles never talked about. He never liked being in a situation where he lacked the knowledge to help people, and he was determined that wasn’t going to happen again with Mary. 

Which, of course, drove Danny crazy. “Drive with two hands on the wheel!” and “My daughter deserves to grow up with a father!” were replaced with “Stop accosting the pregnant lady, Steven,” and “It’s mommy and me time, not mommy answers Steve’s questions time”.

Once Steve adjusted his focus to Danny, trying to understand his doula gift, Danny came home with a box of medical journals all dealing with pregnancy and labor that were “heavily edited by me, because none of us can handle you in baby panic mode”. That had been a problem, because Steve needed to know worst case scenarios so he could prepare for them in advance. 

And then there was Danny’s health and safety. What if something bad happened to Mary and the baby? Danny would do everything in his power to save them, risking his own life in the process. Steve couldn’t – wouldn’t – lose any of them.

They established a routine in the evenings when they didn’t have a case and Danny had no doula obligations. Steve sat at the dinner table with the books and a rapidly filling notepad, Danny on the sofa reading or watching TV. Anytime he had a thought or a question, Steve would call out, and Danny would do his best to answer or explain. Eventually Danny would have enough and turn off the TV, placing Steve’s notepad in the book before closing it, and bending down to softly kiss Steve until all Steve could think about was Danny’s scent, Danny’s lips, Danny’s arms around him, Danny Danny Danny.

Mary’d had a couple more Braxton Hicks contractions before the real thing, and of course Danny knew the moment it started.

Steve had returned from his swim and taken a shower, walking out of the bathroom as he rubbed a towel over his head. It took him a second before he realized that Danny was awake and staring at him.

A certain part of his body perked up at the thought of an early morning romp, and he climbed onto the bed, straddling Danny and kissing underneath his ear in a particular spot he knew Danny loved.

Danny groaned, wrapping his arms around Steve as he said, “Babe, I got morning breath here.”

“I guess I’ll have to take my mouth elsewhere then,” Steve murmured, trailing kisses across Danny’s collarbone.

“That sounds fantastic, but I need to get dressed in a couple of minutes.”

Steve paused, pulling up so he could take a look at Danny’s face. He didn’t see any panic or tension, so he knew that none of Danny’s pregnant women were in distress. “There’s no way you scheduled an appointment this early.”

“No, but – you missed a spot here –” Danny pointed at the edge of his shoulder.

Steve grinned, lowering his lips back down to Danny’s skin.

“But – yeah right there – but Mary’s in labor, so – ”

Steve popped up, almost knocking Danny in the jaw. “Mary’s in labor? Right now? Is it Braxton Hicks again?”

Danny smiled, shaking his head. “Nope, this one’s the real thing, but – ”

Steve hopped off the bed, ignoring the towel dropping from his waist as he grabbed a pair of pants. His mind scrolled through the checklist: Steve would call Jenna, the midwife, while Danny helped Mary get dressed, cleaning her up if she needed help. Steve would then put Mary’s go bag at the door into the car, and they’d drive to the hospital – 

“Hold your horses there, Sparky,” Danny said.

“Why are you still lying there?” Steve pulled the first shirt he grabbed over his head.

“Mary’s still asleep.”

“How can she be asleep? The Braxton Hicks contractions were really painful for her, so the real thing must be worse.”

Danny raised an eyebrow. “You know this from experience, do you?” He grinned at Steve’s glare and reached out his arm. Steve took Danny’s hand and let the other man pull him back onto the bed. “It just started. We won’t go to the hospital until they’re closer to five minutes apart. Remember?”

Steve blinked, appalled with himself, and pulled away. He never panicked during an op.

“Babe, you didn’t panic,” Danny said, reading Steve’s mind. “I’m sure you were going over each step in your head, right?” He barely waited for an answer. “You just missed that first step, the one where I do my job.” He crawled to the end of the bed and sat beside Steve, leaning against him. “We’re a team, right?”

Steve sighed. “Right.”

“So I’m going to get dressed and have some coffee. Mary’s body will be telling her she needs to wake up and pay attention before I finish my first cup.”

By the time they ended up leaving five hours later, Steve was feeling the emotional effects worse than Mary, who’d been prepared after spending so much time with her new mother friends. She breathed with Danny, resting in between contractions and even watching a few comedies Danny had DVR’d that didn’t require a lot of attention. Steve, who’d been put in charge of logging and timing the contractions, paced when he wasn’t needed when what he really wanted to do was use the time more productively, like to chase down a perp through Nuuanu Valley or jump onto a speeding car and punch the driver unconscious. 

In the waiting room, he realized that while he’d hated the idleness he’d felt at the house, he’d at least been where he was put to use, even if it had been a pretty simple task. But here at the hospital he was at the mercy of the medical staff, and suddenly he wished he’d been able to go into the delivery room and see for himself that Mary and the baby – and Danny – were okay.

Finally Danny walked into the room, smiling tiredly as he grabbed Steve’s arm and squeezed. “As of two minutes ago, you are the uncle to a healthy, beautiful baby girl who is currently screaming her head off.”

Steve grinned at Chin and Kono, who stood on either side of him, hugging and clapping him on the back.

“Whoo hoo!! Ho'omaika'i 'ana!” Meka shouted from Chin’s speakerphone. He’d called to tell them about his plans to relocate to Anchorage but had stayed on the line to keep them company while they waited for news. Luckily Chin kept an extra charger in the car, so they caught up while they waited – and while Steve paced.

While Kono whipped out her phone and started asking Danny about weight and length, Steve looked closer at Danny, at the circles underneath happy, sparkling eyes, and finally relaxed.

Danny finally looked back at Steve and grinned. “Wanna meet her?”

Steve felt an unaccustomed excitement when he realized that this child meant that there was another member of their family. He was used to there just being two of them, him and Mary. But now they had a third McGarrett. “You’re damn right I do.”

Danny shook his head and pointed a finger at Steve’s chest. “First of all, watch that potty mouth.”

“She’s not even an hour old. I think I’m in the clear.”

“You don’t start cleaning up your mouth now, you’ll be getting calls to come pick her up from school because of her language, and you won’t have anyone to blame but yourself.” Danny jabbed the finger against Steve’s chest for emphasis. “That’s right, you’ll get the call. I will personally go there and give them your cell for that exact purpose.” He led the way back, throwing out threats that had Kono and Chin laughing as they all followed along.

A few hours later, Steve sat in the guest chair holding baby Joan Stephanie Danielle McGarrett in his arms as Mary slept. He hadn’t been prepared for the surge of love and protectiveness he’d felt the moment Danny had placed her in his arms, and he realized that this was what Danny had been trying to explain to him, that the world now looked completely different.

“Welcome to parenthood, Uncle Steve.” Danny said softly, looking at them from the doorway.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Steve confessed. He’d rolled his eyes and thrown out sarcastic comments when Danny’d made him practice holding a baby using a doll, but now he appreciated that he felt so comfortable holding her already.

“That’s okay. Grace has offered to give you lessons. She made me promise to tell Uncle Steve that she’d be by this weekend to help.”

Steve tossed him a wry smile. “Think Gracie will mind another person calling me Uncle Steve?”

“Naw,” Danny said, walking over and staring down at the baby with a sentimental smile. “The Williams family is all about sharing when it matters.”

“Does that include diaper duty?”

Danny chuckled. “Oh no, my friend. We wouldn’t want to deprive you of that joy.”

“I like to share too, Danno.”

“So you say, but I just know that you’ll suddenly have to go capture a crime lord every time the smell in her diaper gets a little whoofy.”

“Whoofy?” Steve asked. “That’s not even a word.”

“It is now,” Danny said.

Steve frowned. “What does that even mean?”

“It means, Steven, that you’re playing dumb, and it’s not a good look for you.”

“You know you love all of my looks,” Steve said, grinning. His smile faded at the look Danny gave him and he realized what he’d just said.

After a brief pause, Danny said, his tone quiet and light, “Just because I love you doesn’t mean that all of your looks are flattering.”

Steve’s heart pounded at the words. “And just because I love you doesn’t mean that I won’t call you on your made up words.”

“And just because I love you both doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to shut up and let me get what I’ve been told is the last good sleep I’m going to get for the next eighteen years or so.”

“If this kid’s anything like you, you might as well give up on that for the rest of your life,” Steve shot back, standing and handing the baby to his sister. “You did good, Mare.”

She smiled back. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” Her eyes shot behind him. “Or you, Danny.”

Steve turned to find Danny almost out the door. “Where’re you going?”

“I was gonna let you have a family moment,” Danny said.

“Exactly,” Steve said, making sure he sounded exasperated. “So where are you going?”

As he smiled, Danny moved back into the room and bumped Steve’s shoulder, threading their fingers together. “Doesn’t mean you’re going to get out of diaper duty.”

As long as he had Danny by his side, Steve was okay with that.

Besides, he could always call Kono and Chin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The NIH is the National Institute of Health  
Ho'omaika'i 'ana! = Congratulations


End file.
